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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22455163">Troublemaker</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmalyn2233/pseuds/Emmalyn2233'>Emmalyn2233</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Troublemaker series [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 16:07:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>33,848</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22455163</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmalyn2233/pseuds/Emmalyn2233</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>❝She was a troublemaker in her youth, but now she's one of a kind - an agent in the FBI, but with lies, the truth always comes out.❞</p>
<p>(Season 7: Episode 1- 15)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aaron Hotchner/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Troublemaker series [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1730902</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cold, winter weather nipped at 16 year old girl Amber Coulson's skin, her leather jacket wasn't helping the second youngest Coulson girl at all. "Amber, wait up!" Amanda Thornton shouted from behind the brunette girl and Amber closed her eyes, inhaling one more drag off her cigarette before crushing it beneath her heel.</p>
<p>"Hey Am, what's up?" Amber asks, tilting her head to the side as Amanda finally caught up with her. Her tongue flitting over her red painted lips quickly, as Amanda hunched over to catch her breath. </p>
<p>Amber was the only person that knew about what was going on at home, so when she handed the brunette girl the letter ― Amber knew exactly what it was. "Not again," Amber mutters in annoyance. Amanda was silent as she watched Amber's rage burn over and she threw it into a bin nearby. </p>
<p>She pulled out her silver clip lighter, and threw it in the bin. "Listen to me, carefully Am. Stay with me tonight, and I'll help you run away tomorrow." Amber says, and Amanda nods with tears in her eyes. "Come on, let's get us both home." Amber says, walking away from the burning bin. </p>
<p>The two girls didn't realise they were being watched ― and by the time they did, it would be too late, one would already be dead and the other, would be doing what the other set out to do the day after.</p>
<p>☙☙☙</p>
<p>          Amber shivered, she had only just woke up and she was already cold ― her eyes widened when she noticed the window open. There was one rule in the Coulson's house, that they never left their windows open at night so she knew something was wrong. </p>
<p>"Am," She whispered, harshly but there was no answer. She looked down at the floor, but there was no one there ― her best friend wasn't there, her heart rate picked up when she noticed blood all over her floor. "Amanda!" She shouted, now totally awake, worried about her best friend. </p>
<p>"Amber, what's going on?" Ola Coulson says, entering her younger sisters room ― only to see the same amount of blood that she was seeing. "What happened?" She almost hissed, now knowing there was something really wrong. </p>
<p>"Amanda's gone," She says, trying to keep her tears at bay. "I promised, I would help her run away and when I woke up just a few minutes ago ― she wasn't there." She says, and Ola then knew that something had happened to the girl that was like family to the Coulson's.</p>
<p>"Listen to me, Amber." She says, walking towards Amber. "Listen to me," Ola says, grabbing Amber's cheeks. "We need to call the police," she says, and Amber shakes her head. The 19 year old sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. </p>
<p>"No, look at the blood. Ola, they will think I did something!" She snapped back, her and the police had a bad relationship ― she had been arrested by them multiple times in the past and seeing this would make it worse ― way worse. </p>
<p>"It needs to be done, and you did nothing Amber. Remember, if they don't believe you ― we'll get you a lawyer." She says, and Amber gnawed on her cheek before nodding silently. "We'll tell mum, dad and India but we need to call the police." She says, and Amber nodded.</p>
<p>"Okay, you tell mum and dad, as well as India. I'll call the police." Amber says ― and Ola nods, before swinging her legs off of her bed and tried to find her cellphone. Ola gnawed on her lip, before slipping out of Amber's room. </p>
<p>"911, what's your emergency?" A operator asks after three rings, and Amber takes a deep breath before explaining that she needed police, to her address and that she needed them there soon. There was too much blood for her not to be seriously injured or worse ― dead. </p>
<p>☙☙☙</p>
<p>          "So you just found blood on your floor, no idea how it got there or who's it is?" Detective Alec Black asks Amber. The Coulson girl had to grind her teeth together to keep herself from lashing out ― if there was one thing Amber didn't like doing, it was like repeating herself, especially to this detective.</p>
<p>It wasn't the first time these two had met, and they defiantly had an all hate relationship. "Yes, that's what I said. Amanda was sleeping on the floor, I woke up around an hour ago to find the window open with blood everywhere on the floor." Amber gritted out. </p>
<p>"Is there anyone that would want to harm Amanda?" Black asks, knowing fine well there would be plenty ― everyone that knew Amanda, knew that she was friends with Amber and to get to Amber you would have to harm one of her friends.</p>
<p>"Please, Black. You know she inherited all of my enemies ― so don't ask stupid questions." She scoffs, and Black just grits his teeth together ― hating her sarcasm, in which she just smirked at his annoyed expression, "Is that all?" Amber questioned, twirling her hair around her finger. </p>
<p>"Yes, that's all ― but stay local, we may have more questions that need answered." He says, before turning around and walking out of the second youngest Coulson's room. Amber nearly screamed in happiness ― but then she remembered that her best friend was somewhere out there ― alone and hurt. </p>
<p>A somber mood overturned her, and she looked at the floor with a tear rolling down her cheek. She hadn't realised India standing at her door ― her blonde hair, matted and her eyes puffy because of crying. "This is real, isn't it ― Amanda is really gone?" India asks and Amber looks up. </p>
<p>"Yes ― India, she's gone. I'm sorry." Amber says, and a quiet sob came out of India's mouth. India had always thought of Amanda as a role model ― and Amber couldn't blame her, in reality  when she wasn't around Amber, she was a great girl ― quiet, but great. </p>
<p>"Why would someone do this? Amber ― why?!" India sobbed, the eight year old girl was sobbing now ― Amber closed her eyes, before pulling her youngest sister in her arms and soothed her hair back and pressed a kiss against the crown of her head. </p>
<p>"I don't know, India. I really don't know." Amber says quietly ― as Rachel and Nathan Coulson watched their youngest daughters ― silently sobbed in each others arms. India's blonde hair, sticking against Amber's body. </p>
<p>☙☙☙</p>
<p>         It was dark when Amber Coulson handed the money to the bus ticket lady ― £14.50, was how much the girl paid to get to D.C. The furthest place away from Greenport, she just need to be away from there. </p>
<p>She couldn't stay in the place where her best friend ― was missing, and supposedly murdered. The amount of blood, proved that. "Is everything alright ― sweetie?" A female voice asked beside the sixteen year old girl.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I just have to get away from here." Amber says, sitting down beside her ― Amber didn't trust easily, but something made her trust this women ― and who knew where that would lead in the long run.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>7x01 ➝ It Takes A Village<br/>⤷</p><p>       Amber Coulson hit the door open, her FBI vest ― tight around her chest, as Agent Derek Morgan burst down the door to the apartment were they thought IRA arms dealer, Ian Doyle was hiding out. This case, wasn't like normal ― they'd spent months on it, because it was personal. </p><p>"JJ, Amber. Kitchen, Bathroom." Morgan says, and Amber puts her gun up in front of her chest. She kicked the bathroom door ― it hits it hinges as she clears the small room, JJ cleared the kitchen before they walked up behind Derek. </p><p>All there was, were clothes and it wasn't until a few minutes later did Derek find a small area up at the top of the closet ― there was enough room for someone like Ian Doyle to fit through ― he looked over at Amber, and she sighed before holstering her weapon and climbed up through it, leaving the other two agents down in the apartment. </p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>      Amber stepped around the large area on the roof ― but it was clear, no one was there and there was definitely no Ian Doyle. Amber sighed before holstering her weapon once more, and thinking back to Emily Prentiss ― her closest friend in the BAU. </p><p>She had died three months ago because of Ian Doyle ― and now they were trying to find Ian Doyle, who they all presumed was still in D.C. Just as she holstered her weapon, she went flying to the floor. Her gun went flying out of her unclipped holster and her head hit the floor at full pace. </p><p>"Son of a bitch." She said, throwing the person off of her ― he went flying to the floor, as they fought to get the upper hand. When there was a break in the fight, she managed to fly forward and tries to grab her gun from the ground. </p><p>He kicked her right in the stomach, making her go flying towards the edge and she groaned in pain. That's when she noticed his face ― Ian Doyle stood in front of her, grey hair and all disheveled. She managed to kick him in the stomach ― and it made him go flying backwards and he fell on his back. </p><p>Once she had managed to grab the gun ― Doyle started running, knowing he was in danger off getting caught, but what he didn't know was that there was a sniper up on the roof ― ready to shoot when he got the order to do so.</p><p>"I've got the shot, Agent." He said over the comm, not only to Amber ― but too, Derek and JJ downstairs. Amber ran along the edge ― watching him as he ran towards the edge off the roof and Amber worried that he would get away. </p><p>"Don't take the shot, Don't shoot. I've got him." Amber orders over the comm ― hoping that she would manage to grab hum before he did anything stupid, such as jumping off the roof and that would mean he would get away with it. </p><p>Amber put her gun up, and he turned around with his hands up. "You want to kill me yourself, Agent?" He mocks and Amber clenches her jaw tightly ― everyone, including her now dead best friend knew she had a temper. </p><p>Amber's breathing was hard, but instead ― she grabbed him and quickly arrested him, deciding it would be best that she would take him in ― and not kill him herself, after all ― he was known to have terrorist connections. </p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>            Amber, Strauss and JJ were all watching Derek talking to Doyle. "How long has Agent Morgan been searching for Doyle?" Strauss asks the two agents ― Amber looked over at her section chief before sighing. </p><p>"Since he killed Prentiss in Boston." Amber says. "He refused to believe that Doyle just ― vanished." Amber sighs ― tear pricking her eyes when she was talking about Prentiss. Erin Strauss turned to face the two agents, with wide eyes. </p><p>"He's been investigating Doyle, for seven months?" She asks, shocked and startled and Amber looked over at her with a hard glare ― she hated when people bad talked her friends, let alone Derek. </p><p>"Do you expect any less?" She snapped and JJ quickly placed her hand on Amber's shoulder in a bid to calm her down ― "Prentiss died, and she was closest to me and Morgan ― I always suspected he would try and track Doyle down. I'm glad he did." Amber says before turning to watch the interrogation once more. </p><p>"He seems genuine." JJ says ― and Amber hates that she had to agree with the blonde agent, there was no way he wasn't being genuine because his eyes were going everywhere, his heart rate went up and he looked shocked. </p><p>"Of course he does, he's a master manipulator." Strauss says, and JJ turns to face her ― with a hard look. </p><p>"See his carotid? His heart started racing when Morgan told him about Declan. The tightness in his forehead, his darting eyes, are real signs of concern." JJ says ― agitated, Amber left the room. Not wanting to hear anymore ― she left Morgan with Doyle and headed towards the bathroom to take some time to herself since she hadn't in months had time to herself.</p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>        "Amber, Hotch is asking for you." Garcia says entering the bathroom ― her eyes widening as she saw the brunette on the floor. "Oh, Amber." She whispered, sitting down beside her with wide eyes. "Come on, Hotch wants to talk to you." Garcia says and Amber nods before standing up.</p><p>She walked out the bathroom to find Hotch and JJ was talking privately. "Hotch, Garcia told me you needed to talk to me." She says, slowly walking towards the two agents ― JJ looked at Hotch before nodding and walking away. </p><p>"How are you doing ― feeling?" He questioned me as we walked towards the conference room, and Amber looked at him confused, Hotch rarely showed that he cared so something was definitely off with him. </p><p>"It's hard." Amber says, as they walk in the conference room. </p><p>"Everyone take a seat." Hotch said, walking to the front to stand beside JJ. </p><p>"Why?" Morgan questioned, tilting his head as Amber sat down beside Reid, as Garcia sat down and Rossi did as well. </p><p>"Seven months ago, I made a decision that affected this team. As you all know, Emily had lost a lot of blood after her fight with Doyle. But the doctors were able to stabilise her." Hotch says, and Amber's eyes watered. </p><p>He was so not about to tell them what she thinks they were telling them. "And she was airlifted from Boston to Bethesda under a covert exfiltration. Her identity was strictly need-to-know." Hotch says, not looking at anyone. </p><p>Garcia looked at him, upset with tears in her eyes. Amber couldn't believe it ― she faced JJ, who was pleading with her eyes for her not to be mad with her ― but Amber couldn't have it, JJ had lied straight to her face about her death. </p><p>"She's alive?" Garcia watered out. Hotch wasn't looking at anyone as Reid looked at everyone. </p><p>"But we buried her." Reid retorts, and a tear rolled down Amber's cheek. </p><p>"As I said, I take full responsibility for my decision. If anyone has issues, they should be directed towards me." Hotch says and Morgan opens his mouth to speak</p><p>"Damn right I have issues-" Morgan didn't get far when everyone heard heels, a brunette stood at the door frame with a sympathetic look. Amber had to keep her mouth tightly shut so she didn't sob out loud.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Oh, my god." Garcia says, Ex-Agent Emily Prentiss stood at the door ― her face was the epitome of sadness, but what had she got to be sad about? Emily didn't say anything apart from nod at JJ and Hotch. </p><p>She watched silently as Amber stood up from her seat ― tears now rolling down her red cheeks, and that's when Emily knew ― she had totally broken the Coulson girl, who already had a broken heart. </p><p>The Coulson girl, pushed past Emily and walked straight towards the bathroom ― she needed time, but in an office like that ― and the team that she had, she knew it wasn't going to happen and she was right. </p><p>"Amber," Emily says entering the bathroom ― a tear that rolled down her cheek, went onto the floor. She had trusted the Coulson girl ― but in protection, she didn't want to tell her what was going on. "I know, you don't want to talk ― but we need to." She says. </p><p>Amber rolled her eyes and walked out from one of the stalls ― "About what?" She questions, harshly. "The fact that you, JJ and Hotch betrayed my trust?" Amber questions, crossing her arms over her chest. </p><p>"Amber, I had no choice," Emily retorts back.</p><p>"Everyone has a choice, Emily!" Amber growls back, "I told you everything, I told you about Amanda - who I never told anyone about!" She shouts back. "I trusted you, I trusted you." She weeped, and Emily caught her before she totally fell to the floor. </p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>         The drive to Baltimore harbour yard was long and silent ― JJ knew better than to ask Amber if she was alright, after all she would just snap at them. The sirens were piercing through the night ― which could've woken anyone up but the team didn't care.</p><p>They just needed to get Declan out of his mothers hands, before he died at the hands of Chloe. But when they got into the junkyard, no one was there apart from a very dead Geresace. "Doyle said Chloe would clean up." Rossi says as they all holstered their weapons and JJ called Reid. </p><p>"Declan's gone, Geresace is dead." JJ says, looking back at the team as Amber pushes a brown hair behind her ear. "Okay, send Hotch the coordinates." JJ says. "Emily thinks they are heading to a private land strip near here." JJ says and they all rushed to get to the place where the jet would be taking off. </p><p>A few minutes later, the team pulled up at the aircraft field and Hotch stepped out with a microphone. Morgan, Amber and JJ all had their guns out and pointed at the jet ― ready for the two kidnappers to come out.</p><p>"Lachlan McDermott and Chloe Donaghy, this is the FBI!" Hotch shouted, and Amber lifted her gun higher up ― ready for whatever was going to happen next, hoping that they would just give up Declan. </p><p>"We know you have Declan. To ensure his safety, we would like to trade. We will give you Ian Doyle and you send the boy." Hotch says, as Ian Doyle was taken out of the copper that had arrived alongside with them. </p><p>The jet's doors opened and Lachlan McDermott came out with Declan in his arms. Amber pointed her gun straight at his head, in case he decided to do something stupid. "Get over there, go one. Bring Doyle to me." McDermott says, pushing Declan towards them. </p><p>Reid and Prentiss took him forward, pushing him towards the kidnapper. "I want him here, on his knees." He says, pointing towards the floor with his gun. </p><p>"Hotch, are we really going to do this?" Morgan questioned over the comm as Amber kept her gun focused on McDermott for safety. </p><p>"No one leaves here," Hotch answers back. </p><p>"You bastard." McDermott says, and Amber's hand faltered ― the fact that Doyle had killed his brother was the reason he was doing this, and she wanted to blame him for it because it was his fault but he didn't deserve this ― he had a son. "How's it feeling?" He questioned. "It's your bloody time now isn't it?" </p><p>"Now, hand him over." McDermott says, and Amber looks up just in time to see Chloe Donaghy come out of the jet. Amber quickly brought her gun up but it was too late ― a shot rung out and Doyle fell to the floor. </p><p>Amber shot Chloe as she shot at McDermott. Doyle was down on the floor with his son ― who had luckily not gotten hit with a bullet at all. Prentiss held Declan as Declan said goodbye to Doyle ― his father, one more time. </p><p>Declan held Doyle's hand as he laid on the floor with a bullet wound right through his neck. "I remember you," Declan says, and a small sad smile ― Doyle had on his face. "Sorry, son." Doyle said to Declan.</p><p>His grip faltered, and he relaxed ― Ian Doyle was dead. </p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>          In the Bureau's court room, Prentiss sat in the middle, Hotch, JJ, Reid, Garcia, Rossi and Amber all sat. "This team took many unprecedented risks. None we're approved." The Senator says. </p><p>"The DIOG has rules, and you chose to ignore every last one. That's blatant disrespect to the Bureau and to authority of law in general. What I find interesting is that you are the experts in behaviour, but find nothing wrong with yours." The Senator says and Amber can't help but look at the table. </p><p>"May I, the journey was not traditional but this team neutralised four international criminals, and saved the life of a young boy in the process." Prentiss defends everyone from her team, Amber looked over at her. </p><p>"You started a war with Doyle, years ago that the U.S department and this team had to finish. The rest of you are dismissed." He says and Amber sighs.</p><p>"May I speak?" She questioned, and the Senator nods. "Agent Prentiss, was doing what she thought was right ― we took risks, yes ― but would you do any less to save a child ― that was in the hold of two international criminals that honestly didn't give two damns about him?" Amber says. </p><p>"That's me spoken," She says, before walking out of the courtroom ― leaving a surprised Prentiss sitting there. She never knew that Amber would stick up for her like that ― not in a million of years, not after what she did. </p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>         Everyone was watching as Rossi took Prentiss's photo off of the wall ― Morgan didn't stop though, he kept walking and so did Amber. "Amber, wait." JJ says ― the brunette gritted her teeth before stopping on her heels. </p><p>"What?" She questioned, crossing her arms over her chest ― her eyebrows furrowed waiting for her to explain. </p><p>"I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you ―." She says but Amber held her hand up ― shaking her head, telling her she didn't want to hear it. Strauss's heels hitting off the floor and the wording of 'we need to talk' took the two out of their staring contest. </p><p>"The committee made it clear they will not support a rouge team. Agent Prentiss convinced them you were not that," Strauss says once they had made it to the conference room ― Amber was crossing her arms over her chest as she listened to what the section chief had to say. </p><p>"They will be watching you closely," Strauss says, and Amber has to sigh ― she didn't like Prentiss at the moment, but she knew that she had just saved everyone's job in this room ― so she gained a bit of respect from the Coulson girl. "So I suggest that you follow their rules." Strauss says.</p><p>"So we're okay?" Garcia questions. </p><p>"Suspension is lifted for everyone," Strauss says ― JJ sighs leaning against the table.</p><p>"Thank you ma'am." JJ says. </p><p>"There may be more paperwork, considering your situation, but the team is lucky to have you, if you're interested." Strauss says ― Emily looks surprised, as everyone looks at her for an answer. Some were begging and some were just with smiles ― Amber was neutral, she was still mad.</p><p>"May I think about it?" She asks. Strauss nods with a small 'of course' before looking at Hotch. "I'm in." Emily says ― and everyone sighs in relief with smiles. </p><p>"I have a stack of cases on my desk. I'm happy to pass them along." Strauss says and Prentiss looks at her. Amber stood up ― getting ready to go home, to say she was exhausted was an understatement. </p><p>"I'll pick them up tomorrow morning," Hotch says, and once she left. Prentiss sighed in relief.</p><p>"Emily, what did you tell them?" Morgan asks. Amber nodded in agreement ― wanting to know what Emily had said to get them to lift all of their suspensions. Prentiss smiles tightly at them all as Hotch looked at her. </p><p>"The only people I knew who could accomplish that mission, just walked out. They do their jobs with integrity, and most importantly, the honour their oath. "I will support and defend the constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I will bear true faith and allegiance off to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation, or purpose of evasion, that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office, on which I am about to enter. So help me god." Emily Prentiss says as the team all stand together.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amber's apartment wasn't that big ― but it was big enough for her and her dog, Chance. Her living room is where she was normally found ― when she wasn't asleep, partly because it was where she always did her reports. </p><p>It's where she was right at that moment at time ― her phone went off. The call startled the brunette and she sighed, before answering it. "Coulson," She says, biting on the end of her pen as she wrote down the last thing she needed too. </p><p>"We've got a case, my love." Garcia says, and Amber groans ― it hadn't even been that long since the Doyle case. "We need you here soon," Garcia says, and Amber nods ― before realising Penelope couldn't see her. </p><p>"Okay, Pen. I'm on my way." She says, before ending the call ― scratching the back of Chance's ears and left a text message for her next door neighbour ― asking her to look after him. Amber's go bag was up on her counter and she grabbed it ― swinging her car keys around her index finger and headed out. </p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>       "Where's Garcia?" JJ asks, as the lift pings and Amber walks out onto the floor. Spencer wasn't even looking at JJ when he answered. </p><p>"She's with Rossi." He says, causing JJ to let her arms falter ― Amber can't help but feel bad for the blonde girl, but she knew what Reid was going through because it was exactly what she was going through.</p><p>"He hates me." JJ says as Amber joins the two agents. </p><p>"That's not hate. That's I came to you to drown my sorrows and you didn't have the decency to tell me Emily was still alive." Amber says, surprising the two seasoned agents ― Emily looked back to see Amber standing there. </p><p>Emily saw the hurt in Amber's eyes before she followed after Reid ― "She hates me too." JJ says, and Prentiss shook her head. </p><p>"No, JJ. She doesn't, it's something else." She says, patting JJ's back ― Amber had heard the conversation but ignored the conversation, deciding it was best for her not too converse with them at this moment in time.</p><p>"You know Rossi, you could give Penelope a cooking lesson." Morgan says as Amber enters the conference room ― Amber contained a snort. Rossi looked at him with a weird look ― Penelope however was totally different. </p><p>"Oh, my gosh. That would be amazing, that would be like the Iron Chef meets BAU." Penelope says, and Amber snorted as she sat down beside Reid and Morgan ― Penelope gave her a smile, and she quickly returned it. "And we could do it at your house." She says to Rossi.</p><p>"I don't have a house, I have a mansion." Rossi says ― not even looking at Garcia when he said that. Garcia looked at Amber for confirmation since she had already been in it ― and Amber nodded slightly as she looked at her tablet. </p><p>"All right, let's get started." Hotch says ― and Amber can't help but praise her bosses good timing, she was eager to get out of that conversation. JJ handed Garcia her remote, and Garcia nodded at her. </p><p>"All right, mis amis." She says, and Amber looks up at her ― when she hears Garcia speaking French, it was like a total different person had overtaken Penelope's body. "You are jetting to Durant, Oklahoma." Garcia says, and Ambers eyebrows furrowed. </p><p>"Because in the last three days, two women have been dead after being sexually tortured and then blinded with a sulphuric acid solution." Garcia says ― clicking on her remote, showing the photos of the two females that were found dead. </p><p>"Abby Elcot is our first victim, 19 years old art student." She says, clicking showing another photo of the beautiful blonde ― and Amber can't help but compare the girl to her sister, India who had just turned 17, two months ago. </p><p>"She was headed to campus, for an advanced drawing class. She'd been missing for two days." Penelope says ― Amber flicked the page, only to see the ugly scene and place she was left in. Poor girl, Amber thought. </p><p>"Same goes for our second victim, Beth Westerly, 17. She had just finished her coffee shop shift and was on her way for a bar method class." Garcia says ― and Amber can't help but look at the type of victim this UnSub was targeting. </p><p>Blonde, beautiful women. "Both low risk victims," Prentiss says ― Amber looks over at her before nodding in agreement. </p><p>"This UnSub probably knew that someone was going to report them missing ― and just doesn't care about it." Amber says ― fiddling her fingers together. "And both physically similar." She continues. </p><p>"How far apart were the abduction sites?" Rossi asks ― after Amber had finished talking. However for the next few seconds, Amber was quiet ― too quiet for Prentiss's liking. </p><p>"Five miles apart at bus stations." Garcia says, swiping left on her tablet. "Abby's cell was found near one, and Beth's scarf the other." This just confirmed they were getting ready to go somewhere ― to a class, minding their own businesses. </p><p>"Where are the dump sites?" Reid asks from beside Amber, before he slips a coffee over to the brunette girl. Amber smiles tightly at him before sipping on it ― Reid was literally a life saver to her because every time she seemed to be dying off no caffeine ― he gave her some. </p><p>"One in an alley, the other in a field." Garcia says, showing the areas on the map ― and how far they were away from each other. Amber shook her head, as she put the coffee onto the table. She sighed, before gnawing on her bottom lip.</p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>           "Victimology is very similar, blonde hair, blue eyed teenage girls." JJ says, "We think they were each abducted near public transport stops." JJ says. </p><p>"Probably because they were headed to class, when they were abducted." Amber says ― not looking up from her file and she heard JJ sigh, before Amber looked up ― it was only for a second but JJ had some hurt and tears in her eyes. </p><p>Amber stood up ― going to the coffee machine and starts pouring some for herself. "When was this photo taken?" Prentiss asks, showing off a photo of her eyes to the team ― Amber looked around the corner before finishing off her coffee. </p><p>"Beth was caught on a bank surveillance camera three hours before she disappeared." Morgan says, as he moved his body to let Amber slip into the seat beside him ― her sipping away on her coffee at the same time. </p><p>"That's a recent photo of Abby." He says after moving back around, pointing at the photo which was in Prentiss's hand. </p><p>"She wasn't found in the same clothes either, from when she was abducted. The UnSub changed her," Amber says ― cutting off Prentiss's next sentence. Emily raised an eyebrow at Amber but shook her head ― knowing she was still annoyed at both her and JJ.</p><p>"He maybe changed her because they got burned when he poured sulphuric acid on their eyes." Rossi says ― and Reid, JJ and Prentiss agree. </p><p>"It's possible, sulphuric acid does can turn human flesh into soap." Reid says as Hotch looks up to the camera that was on the laptop. </p><p>"Garcia are there anymore similar cases to this one nearby?" Hotch questioned ― Garcia was typing furiously on her computer. </p><p>"Actually, yes, Two months ago, a prostitute and runaway were both raped and killed, and they had stab wounds to their eyes." She says ― and Amber physically flinched at the amount of torture this UnSub was putting his victims through. </p><p>"So maybe he practised on high-risk victims to begin with, and then grew bored with them and went onto low-risk victims." Amber says ― closing her file, and leaning back ― still feeling quite sickened from the admission. </p><p>"And also evolved into chemical enucleation." Morgan says ― looking at the girl worried. "Amber, you alright?" He asks ― and Amber sticks her thumbs up, saying she was perfectly fine and not to worry about her. </p><p>"Isn't that a rare paraphilia?" JJ questions and Amber opens her eyes to look at the two female agents.</p><p>"Well, the chemical part is. It would exacerbate the pain," Emily says, and Amber shivers. </p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>            Amber and Hotch were talking to Abby's parents, "He kept her for two days? I can't even imagine what she went through." Abby's mother says, and Amber puts her hands on hers. </p><p>"Don't think of it that way, think of Abby in her good days ― when she was happy. That's not images you have to ever see." Amber comforts. </p><p>"Why did he blind her?" Her father asks, looking at Hotch ― Ambler looked at him worried, knowing that they had no idea why the UnSub was blinding them just yet. Hotch had a straight face while talking to him. </p><p>"That's what we are trying to find out." Hotch says. He knew that Amber was mad at him ― but he didn't say anything, he would talk to her once this interview was over. "I know this is difficult, but I need you to look at the clothes Abby was wearing when we found her." Hotch says, pulling the clothes in the evidence bag out. </p><p>Her mother looked at them before shaking her head, "They're not Abby's." She says ― Amber looks at Hotch weirdly, if they weren't Abby's ― who's were they? </p><p>"You sure?" Hotch questions ― Amber cocked a brow, although she knew this was protocol, she didn't understand why he had to go over and over it ― it hurts the families. </p><p>"I saw her that morning, she had on a brown and pink sweater," She says ― confirming for us, that these weren't Abby's clothes and he had dressed her in someone else's clothes before dumping the body.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Amber," Hotch says as he and the brunette walks out of the interview ― it was obvious there was something bother during the interview and now Hotch wanted to find out what. "What is going on with you ― and don't tell me it's because of Prentiss returning." He warns, knowing she would try and like about it. </p><p>"Nothing ― Hotch, it doesn't matter." She says ― not looking up, knowing if she did she would falter and he would realise she was lying to him. </p><p>"Coulson, it's obvious something is bothering you ― don't lie." He says, and Amber pinches the bridge of her nose in annoyance. She finally looked up from looking at the floor ― and she gnawed on her bottom lip. </p><p>"It just reminds me of my younger sister ― she looks exactly like the victims." Amber says ― and Hotch looks at her with a hard look. </p><p>"Tell me now if you can do this case ― if you can't, I'll send you home." He says ― and Amber gives him a hard look now. </p><p>"Just because my sister looks like these victims ― I can do this case, Hotch. I just have to push it to the back of my mind." She says ― before turning on her heels and walking towards the conference room.</p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>            "There was another body found." JJ says, entering the conference room ― finding Amber sitting there alone, reading through the file. "You coming Amber?" She questions, and Amber closes the file before standing up ― quietly and walks right past JJ without even noticing her.</p><p>The ride there was quiet as well ― "He's frequenting places where the homeless are again." Amber says, and Rossi nods in agreement ― he also noticed the silence coming out of Amber but decided it was best that he didn't ask about it. </p><p>"It's equidistant between the last two dump sites," Rossi says ― Amber looks over at him before nodding ― Amber noticed the tension between Reid and JJ, and she knew it was because Reid had went to her for ten weeks while they all thought Prentiss was dead. </p><p>"He burned her tongue with the chemical this time." JJ says ― once she had looked at the inside of her mouth ― Amber and Rossi flinched. </p><p>"So he removed her ability to taste," Rossi says and Amber sighs. </p><p>"She must've said something that angered the UnSub ― which made him mad and end up putting chemicals in her mouth." Amber says, and Rossi nods ― but what could she have said that pissed this guy off so much?</p><p>"Her lips are chapped." Rossi says and Reid looks down at her.</p><p>"She was probably forced repeatedly to participate in some sort of kissing fantasy." Reid says ― and Amber nods in agreement. </p><p>"And when things go awry, he takes the offending sense away." JJ says as Reid stands up taller than what he was just a few minutes ago. </p><p>"He tortured her in these clothes, which means the 80's are essential to his delusion." Reid says as Amber took a break away from the scene to answer a call from India. </p><p>"India, I'm at work. What is it?" She asked her youngest sister ― India had called Garcia after finding out that she worked for the BAU, two years back and they had kept in contact ever since. Ola was the only one that didn't know where she was, and her parents.</p><p>"They just found Amanda's body." India says ― and Amber stumbles backwards, her hand instantly covering her mouth as a silent tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Amber. I didn't want to call you when you were at work, but I thought you should know." India says.</p><p>"Thanks, I. Are you alright?" Amber questioned ― worried about her mental health now, India defiantly thought of her as a role model. She didn't answer, before the call ended without no explanation. "Dammit, India." She muttered, wiping away one of her tears away. </p><p>"Amber, is everything alright?" JJ questions ― coming up behind her and Amber nodded before pushing away from her. She knew she couldn't be mad at JJ much longer ― but why not roll it out just a little longer? </p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>          "We believe that this UnSub or Unknown Subject that we're looking for is a white male in his 40's, this is someone who is reacting to rejection by a women, when he was a women in the 1980's. He's punishing his victims for their reactions to him." Hotch says as Amber leans against the desk near him. </p><p>"This is by using sulphuric acid and taking away their senses." Amber says ― "We believe our UnSub could possibly work part time, as a janitor or mechanic." Amber says, ignoring the twisting gut feeling in her stomach ― partly because she was worried for her sister. </p><p>"Which would give him access to these chemicals." Rossi says, continuing on where Amber stopped. "And after studying his disposal sites, we think it's likely that he's homeless." Rossi says ― when Amber's phone went off again, silently she looked at the ID ― India. </p><p>She leaned closer to Hotch, "I need to take this." She whispers ― and he nods, letting her know it was okay, and she walked away. Once she was closer to an area where she could talk to her sister in private ― she answered.</p><p>"You have crap timing, I. What's going on, what happened earlier?" She questioned her youngest sibling, once more. She heard the heavy breathing, and silent sobs. "India ― I know you're hurt but so am I so, what's going on?" She questions.</p><p>"I miss her, so much. Am." She weeps onto the phone and Amber felt bad ― she could never be there to hug her, and tell her everything is alright ― that she won't be alone when she goes through this. </p><p>Amber was quiet ― when Spencer went flying past her. "Spencer, what'." She didn't get further before he was gone. "India, I've got to go ― I need to help one of my friends. I love you," She says, before ending the call and running after Spencer.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amber sat beside Spencer ― her hand in his, "How can you handle this so well? You got betrayed too?" Spencer questions and Amber looks over at him ― a sad smile tugging at the edges of her lips.</p><p>"I think about how there is always a reason for someone to lie ― and JJ, Emily and Hotch all did it to protect Emily. It was never about us," Amber says, "Think about it Spence, Emily was in danger ― she almost died at the hands of Doyle, they did have a good reason for it." Amber says. </p><p>All the team then entered the conference room, and Amber took her feet off of Spencer's lap and sits properly ― the tear tracks on her face, probably very evident for the team to see but she didn't care.</p><p>"It would have to be a women very close to the UnSub, to make him react this way." Hotch says, as Amber looks at the photos once more ― however, her mind was still on the very upset India that she had tried to comfort over the phone.</p><p>"Then why go after surrogates?" Morgan asks. Spencer looked up from the photos that were in my hands and sighed.</p><p>"I don't think we're dealing with a typical homeless person." He said, and everyone looks up at him with ― either cocked brows, or confused looks. "He's good with chemicals, owns a car. I think the only mistake in our profile was assuming there was something wrong with his physical composition reducing him to some stereotype." Reid says.</p><p>"You think it's only his mental state?" Rossi questions and Amber looked up.</p><p>"I think this guy is smart enough to use his disability to his advantage so he comes across as harmless." Reid says, and Amber nods in agreement ― realising where Reid was coming from and understanding it.</p><p>"Then when he's alone and the victim rejects him, he goes off." Morgan says as Amber bites onto the end of her pen. It totally fit.</p><p>"If he is using his disability to his advantage, it explains how he is managing just to pluck women off of the street without drawing attention to himself." Amber says, drawing JJ and Prentiss's attention to her.</p><p>"What if he doesn't live on the street. What if he lives in a halfway house?" JJ asks as Hotch pulls out his phone.</p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>"So we interviewed the 19 released from the group home, none of them fit the profile." Morgan says, entering the conference room ― Hotch looked at them with a file in his hands.</p><p>"Dave is still trying to locate the families." Hotch says, as Amber holds her file in her hands as Reid looks over at her with worried eyes ― she had been very quiet since the last time they had talked and she wasn't talking to anyone else.</p><p>"Tammy Bradstone's parents just filed a report, Their daughter didn't return home from homecoming last night." The lead detective says and Amber quickly sits up in her chair ― it was the first time he had gone for someone coming out of homecoming.</p><p>"Her age and face is the same as the other victims," JJ says.</p><p>"Well the after party where she was last seen, was smack in the comfort zone." She says ― Amber has to groan in annoyance, that was another victim if they couldn't find this guy.</p><p>"Where are her parents now?" JJ questions, and Amber nods in agreement.</p><p>"They're at the house, we're bringing in her friends in for questioning now." She says, and Amber nods ― that was a good idea, if there was anyone that could give a good enough description of their UnSub it would help a lot.</p><p>"You head over there, We'll start the interviews here." Hotch says and Amber stands up.</p><p>"I'll go with her ― please, Hotch?" She questions, and Hotch looks at the two of them. "I won't do anything stupid, if that's what your thinking." She says, and Hotch sighs before nodding ― telling her to go.</p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>"Why did you want to come with me?" Emily asks ― after the silence had becoming overwhelming for the raven haired agent. If there was anything wrong with Amber ― Emily was normally the first person to know about it.</p><p>"Because, I finally realised ― although you weren't really dead, and I'm still upset that you didn't tell me, you had a reason for doing it ― and I forgive you for it." Amber says, not looking over at Prentiss.</p><p>Not wanting to see the shocked face she was making ― nor the happy smile that was now coming on her face. Morgan was in the back of the SUV ― not saying anything as he watched the two women finally make up.</p><p>It was a few minutes, and Amber and Emily were sitting with Tammy's parents. "Are you sure, that Tammy hasn't been behaving differently lately?" Emily asks ― Amber watched their reactions and behaviour.</p><p>"She's 16, so she's pretty closed off." Her father says ― and Amber can't help but agree, India now being seventeen she understood it more than Emily did probably.</p><p>"Your daughter seems to cherish hanging out in groups, so there is no way she would run off with someone unless she knew them." Morgan says ― surprising the four people in the room.</p><p>"What about her computer, anything on it?" Amber questioned, and Morgan looked at her.</p><p>"Nothing out of the ordinary and Hotch cleared the boyfriend." He says, as the parents pinched their noses. Amber didn't understand who could've taken Tammy ― unless there was someone else they didn't know about.</p><p>"Do you know anyone that is transient or mentally ill?" Emily asks ― and Tammy's parents looked at her shocked, before answering.</p><p>"Yeah, my brother." Her father says ― and Emily looked at me with her lips pressed in a thin line. This wasn't good. "He didn't get enough oxygen to his brain when he was young." He says and Emily asks the next questions.</p><p>"What's his name?" Emily asks.</p><p>"Cy Bradstone." He says and Amber stands up and walks out of the room to phone Garcia.</p><p>"Garcia, I need everything on a Cy Bradstone ― just send it to me or Morgan when you've got it." Amber says, hearing a 'got it' before ending the call and heading back into the living area where Morgan and Emily were at.</p><p>"Cy wouldn't hurt anyone, especially not my daughter." Tammy's father denied as Emily looked at the sleeping arrangement Cy had up in this house. Lyla looked worried ― but it was obviously for her daughter.</p><p>"Has Cy ever acted inappropriately towards your daughter?" Morgan asks, and the two parents look at Amber and Morgan ― like they had both grown two heads.</p><p>"No, I wouldn't let him in here if he had." The father says.</p><p>"Okay, so he sleeps her sometimes and his head faces this side." Emily says, and Amber looks over to see what she was talking about. "That puts the TV out of his sight." Emily says.</p><p>"Since when is that a crime?" Tammy's father asks ― but Amber was confused, why would you sleep on that end if you couldn't see the TV?</p><p>"Well, it just gives him a full view of the kitchen." Emily says, pointing it out ― and that's when Amber realised where Emily was coming from. Cy was waiting and watching for someone, Emily noticed the look of recognition.</p><p>"Does Tammy cook for him?" Amber asks.</p><p>"No, Lyla does." The husband says, and Amber looks at Emily ― now knowing why he was looking at the kitchen.</p><p>"He wasn't looking at Tammy," Amber says, to the husband. "He was looking at Lyla." She says, and the husband looked shocked at the accusation.</p><p>"Ma'am, what's your relationship with Cy?" Morgan asks, sitting down beside Lyla.</p><p>"I've known him since 10th grade, that was 1985." Lyla says, and Emily looks at Amber with a ― good observation, kind of look and Amber nodded ― now knowing the importance of the 80's dress wear.</p><p>"He makes you uncomfortable, doesn't he?" Morgan asks, and Amber physically flinched. She knew that if he asked to many questions ― he might get them kicked out. "Did you have blonde hair in high school?" Morgan asks.</p><p>"Yes. What are you getting at?" The husband asks.</p><p>"Sir, your daughter just dyed her hair blonde. You allowed her to wear your dress, I'm just thinking it triggered something for Cy." Morgan says and Amber continued on.</p><p>"Tammy wasn't the main obsession for Cy. It was you, Lyla." Amber says, gnawing on her cheek. Lyla looked really confused. "What happened with you and Cy that made him so angry?" Amber asks.</p><p>Her husband looked at her confused, "Honey, what is it?" He asks her as Lyla moves her hair under her head fingernails and massaged her head.</p><p>"When I was 16, my friends and I went to a party after homecoming. Everyone had been drinking. We were playing spin the bottle, and when it was my turn it landed on Cy, my friends were laughing but I didn't want to be mean, so I went in the closet with him." Lyla says, explaining what had happened.</p><p>"Then what happened?" Emily asks.</p><p>"I let him feel me up," Lyla says, not looking at anyone.</p><p>"How did he behave after that?" Amber asks, confused ― but she knew that they need to know, so they could understand Cy better and why he was doing this.</p><p>"He started following me around at school, the one day he overheard me tell a friend how gross I thought he was." She says, feeling ashamed and her husband looked at her disappointed.</p><p>"How he talked, how he smelt?" Morgan asks her ― Amber saw how uncomfortable Lyla was feeling. It wasn't hard for her to notice it. She nodded and her husband looked at her shocked.</p><p>"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" He asked her.</p><p>"I was 16, we had just started dating," Lyla says, looking at her husband. </p><p>"Does Cy know about your recent marital problems." Emily asks and Amber looks over at her, she didn't understand how she could profile that ― how would she know that without looking it up with Garcia?</p><p>"I told him a couple months ago," He admitted ― and Amber figured out that somehow, Cy might've taken that as a indicator to make another move on Lyla ― and for someone that knew what rejection was like, ached for him ― but that didn't mean he could go out and kill random people. </p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>           It was late at night, after they had found Tammy when they were back on the jet to get back to Quantico ― Rossi had asked her if she was coming to his house tomorrow for the cooking fest but she said she might just go home and sleep.</p><p>"Look, I know you're mad at me ― but can we at least talk?" JJ asks, slipping into the seat in front of her. Amber looked up from her book and sighed, before closing it and nodding silently. "I'm really sorry, Am. I really am, but I promise you ― we had no choice." She says and Amber lightly chuckles. </p><p>"JJ, I already forgave you hours ago." Amber mentioned and her eyes widened before she clutched Amber's hand in her own. "I know why you did it, I may not have liked it but I understand it." Amber says, and a smile came onto her face. </p><p>Amber smiled back as she felt the plane dip and probably get ready to land back in Quantico. </p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>        "Cooking is the most sensual art form." Rossi says, as all the team stood in his kitchen ― the only person that wasn't there at the moment was Reid. "And these are my paints." Rossi says, pointing at the counter. Amber just shook her head as she took a sip of wine. </p><p>"No drinking for you," Rossi says, taking away her wine and she pouted ― causing most of the team to laugh at her, "At least not until I'm done explaining." He retorts and she feels a smile tug at the edges of her lips. </p><p>"So your hands must be brushes." Garcia says from beside Amber and she has to let out a laugh.</p><p>"Don't interrupt." He warns and Amber just shakes her head as a small chuckle comes out of her mouth. "In a pot of boiling water, we cook our spaghetti until it's al dente ― firm to the tooth." He says, pulling it out with his fingers. "Here you go, everyone pass it around." Rossi says, and Amber watches as Garcia eats a piece. </p><p>She shakes her head, "Only you Pen, only you." She whispers, and she chuckles lightly. </p><p>"See? Feel the texture. There we go. Okay. Now in a large pan, we fry our pancetta, keeping a sharp eye that our edges are crisp." Rossi says. </p><p>"But careful not to burn the onions." Hotch says, and everyone looks at him shocked apart from Amber ― he has a son to take care off, obviously he needs to cook sometimes for him. </p><p>"Bravo, Aaron!" Rossi says, "We sautés, until translucent." JJ looked at Hotch and he just smiles at her ― when the doorbell went off, and everyone went to grab it but Morgan said he would do it. JJ went to drink her wine but Rossi also told her off, and Amber smirked ― finally someone else got in trouble. </p><p>"Now we mix in the eggs, the parmesan, the spaghetti, and parsley." Rossi says, "You see it's all about timing and rhythm, and if you don't feel yourself doing it properly, please, order a pizza." He says sarcastically. </p><p>"Sorry, I'm late." Spencer says, entering the kitchen as Rossi pushes a wine towards him ― causing Amber to narrow her eyes at him, a small smirk tugged at the edges of his lips. </p><p>"Yeah, and this is why I cook alone." Rossi says, and Amber snorts ― finally getting her wine back. "There you go, happy now?" He teased and her and she scowled ― bitting on her lip so she didn't say anything she might regret later. </p><p>"So when do we get to drink this wine?" Prentiss asks, and Amber looks over at her at the same time Rossi does. </p><p>"Almost there, okay. We start at the beginning, you eat what you cook, I'll supervise, but we're going to do this all together, just like a family." He says, and Amber has to smile ― because although she already have a family ― these people were also her family. </p><p>"Okay, now?" JJ questions and Rossi nods ― Amber instantly takes the wine up to her lips, and downs the whole thing. Rossi shakes his head, as he puts more in her glass, and she clinks it against Penelope's and Rossi's. </p><p>A small smile playing at the edges of her lips for the rest of the night ― before her phone went off, and the name. Micheal, came up and she shook her head before declining the call ― she didn't want to talk to him. She hadn't since she was 16.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amber's heels hit off the floor, making all the agents that she had gotten close to over the past two years look up from their files. "Amber, welcome back," JJ breathed out ― she had no idea on where the women went, the only one that did was Agent Prentiss ― who was leaning against her chair lazily. </p><p>Amber nodded silently towards JJ, before putting her bag down on the floor ― it wasn't unusual for her in the morning, but she just seemed to quiet for JJ's liking and a split look at Derek and Reid confirmed that they too had that feeling. </p><p>"Are you alright?" Emily asks, and Amber looks up. </p><p>"I'll be fine. I just ― needed time." Amber whispers back ― not wanting the rest of the team to overhear the conversation they were having about Amanda. After the case in Durant ― Amber had asked Hotch for some personal time, which he granted as long as she came back after two or three weeks ― in which she did. </p><p>"Conference room in five," Hotch says, before stopping "And Coulson, welcome back." He says, and Prentiss cocks a brow at her ― it was the first time Hotch had ever said that to a team member that wasn't Rossi. </p><p>☙☙☙</p><p>          "Hey, sorry I'm late. I got hung up with something." Rossi says, as he too enters the conference room. He makes eye contact with Amber, who nods and looks down at her file without saying anything else. "What do we got?" He asks. </p><p>"A child abduction in St Louis," Hotch says, and Amber tenses up ― she despised child abduction cases. She shivered, she hated them even more than she did before a child's body was also found with Amanda's body. </p><p>"Yeah, Bobby Smith ― 9 years old, disappeared 48 hours ago in a residential area where his mother Marlene Smith, claims to have dropped him off." Garcia says, and Amber looks up. </p><p>"48 hours ago, why are we only getting called in now?" She questions ― harshly, it's widely known in child abduction cases that they normally only survive the first 24 hours ― it's sad but true but there are rare cases that they might be found alive after that if they don't say the wrong thing and set them off. </p><p>"Because mom didn't know he was gone," Garcia says, and Amber's eyebrows furrowed. It surprised her that his mom had no idea that her son was nowhere to be seen. "She assumed that he was with his grandmother, and just left him there." She says, and Amber leans back in her seat. </p><p>"So she's not exactly on the short list for mother of the year," JJ comments and Amber has to agree ― who leaves their child, and not check up on him until 48 hours later? It didn't make sense. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>       "St Louis. Probably a couple of days. I'll let you know." Rossi says, as he was on call to someone. Emily, Derek and Amber all looked up from their files, and looked at his back before looking at one another with confused looks ― who the hell was he talking too? "Can't wait, bye." He says, before turning around and looking at the three agents who were staring at him with confused looks. </p><p>"What?" He questions and Prentiss smirks.</p><p>"Nothing," She says in a teasing manner ― as a small smile tugs at the edges of Amber's lips as she looks down at her own file. </p><p>"Just somebody's got a little extra pep in their steps this morning, that's all." Derek mocks now, and Amer rolls her eyes from behind the file ― knowing that there unit chief was standing behind Morgan and Prentiss now. </p><p>"Probably doubled up on his vitamins." Prentiss says, and Amber doubles over ― chocking on the cup of coffee she was drinking. Prentiss laughs and Morgan looks at her worried.</p><p>"I'm alright," She says ― shivering, remembering the last time she had, had vitamins. It wasn't a pretty sight that was true. </p><p>"He definitely doubled up on something." Amber teases, once she had finally stopped chocking on her coffee. Just when Garcia came on call.</p><p>"Garcia, what do you have on the mother?" Hotch questions as the jet calms down and goes into a silent atmosphere. </p><p>"I have so much on the mother, and try as I might, none of it's really good." She says, and Amber's eyebrows furrowed. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>         Hotch had sent Amber to look over the files in the conference room that the chief had set up ― which she was thankful for, she knew he was trying his best to keep her from breaking down into a fit of panic attacks but how could she not because if this case with Amanda continued ― they were going to go down a very dark path they would wish not to have gone down. </p><p>Hotch, JJ, and Reid all slipped down beside her. "I don't think the mother has anything to do with it." Amber says ― without even looking up from her file. Morgan and Rossi sat at the end of the table. </p><p>"I agree. She was to emotional and her behaviour didn't show any warning signs." JJ says, and Amber finally looks up ― Hotch looks at her with uncertainty but she shook her head ― saying she was fine. </p><p>The chief wasn't far behind when he joined the group at the table, "Based on our assessment, we need to re-prioritise." Hotch says, as Amber shuts her file and looks at the dark skinned male that was standing near her. </p><p>"The concern for her son, was genuine, her tone of voice, body language, She didn't once ask if she was in trouble, under arrest, where's my lawyer, none of that." She says, explaining why the no longer needed to look at the mother.</p><p>"It's looking more and more likely this is a stranger abduction." Amber says, and the chief turns to her ― "This Unknown subject or UnSub, has some other motive off taking Bobby ― we've just got to figure it out and figure it out soon, because he might not have long to live." She says.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. eight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reid pulled the blood soaked, white sheet that was over Marianne Smith's body. "There is something strange about this body," He comments and Amber has to pinch her body - her nose and senses had yet to get used to the stench that came with this job again.</p><p>Amber then noticed how this killer had tried to make it look like she had self harmed again, but then lost control ― very much overkill, like it was personal ― like he knew the victim. "She was slaughtered by someone totally out of control, and then on her wrist there is very precise wounds." Reid says and Amber sighs.</p><p>"Someone was trying to make it look like suicide. Then went all out crazy on her, overkill." Amber says, and Hotch looks up from his position on the floor before nodding silently ― he agreed. </p><p>"Maybe this was never about the kid at all, maybe it was about the mother." Morgan says, his sunglasses covering his chocolate brown eyes that Amber found peace in quite a lot ― Amber felt sick, why would he use kids as bait, it didn't feel right. </p><p>"Make her suffer a few days by taking her child―." Reid says and Amber interrupts him.</p><p>"Then kill her, it doesn't make much sense but it could work." Amber says, crossing her arms as she blows one of her long brown baby hairs that had fallen out of her messy bun this morning out of her face. She couldn't help but think about India and how crest fallen she was when she had found out about Amanda when she was eight. </p><p>"It means the UnSub knew her personal history." Hotch says.</p><p>"How would someone know that, unless ― they were in a job that gave them access to these files, such as police or EMT's." Amber says, and Hotch looks up at her ― it was a plausible idea and it wasn't the first time a police officer or EMT had turned against what they fought for. </p><p>"I'll call Garcia." Morgan says, taking Amber's idea on board ― he pressed his hand against her cheek and kissed her hair line quietly. "Are you alright?" He whispered and she nodded her head silently ― telling him to not worry about her, and to phone their bubbly technical analyst.</p><p>Morgan was talking to Garcia, and was about to hang up when she stopped him, "How is she?" She questioned, worried about Amber's well being ― everyone in the BAU had a soft spot for the young brunette, including Penelope so when she heard she was taking two weeks off for personal reasons, she was frightened and scared about what was going on in her life. </p><p>"Honest opinion? I don't know ― when Amber doesn't want to talk, she won't ― Pen, she'll come to us. When she is ready. Now fine that italian engine of yours, and find stuff out for me babygirl." He says before ending the call and coming to a stand still beside Coulson.</p><p>"Garcia's worried about me?" She questioned, and Morgan looked down at her ― damn their height difference, she thought. "Derek, seriously ― I'm fine, I just needed a couple of weeks to myself." She says before the chief called Hotch's name.</p><p>"Agent Hotchner, there has been another child abduction." He says, and everyone looks at each other worried as they made a beeline towards their SUV's and headed towards the last place this child was last seen. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>             "I was sitting on the bench," The women points to the bench that she was sitting on when her four year old went missing, just after he was playing in the park. "And he was playing right there, I looked away from two seconds." She says, running her fingers through her hair as Amber studies her. </p><p>"Were you alone?" Morgan questions, as Amber judged her movements were down to something other than her son being missing ― she wasn't here for her child to play in the park, she was here to meet her dealer. </p><p>"You told the police you live in McKinley heights, that's almost an hour away." Spencer says, as Morgan also notices the signs and Amber decides it was time to cut to the chase.</p><p>"Sorry, Spence. I know you hate being interrupted but you weren't here to play in the park with your son ― were you?" Amber questioned and the women looked at her with horror filled eyes. </p><p>"Yes, I was." She lied ― straight through gritted teeth, if there was one thing that Amber knew it was that she hated being lied too, and she had a pretty good gut feeling when someone was lying to her.</p><p>"See, your body language just went rigid ― meaning your lying to me, and your fidgeting a lot more than any normal person around here. You were here to meet your dealer, weren't you? How long have you been addicted to drugs for?" Amber asks. </p><p>"I cannot believe you are insulating tha―." Ms Tanner was about to say but Morgan interrupted her.</p><p>"You're child is missing, Ms Tanner. Every minute, every half minute counts." Morgan says, "Now answer, Agent Coulson's question and tell the truth." He says, almost in an authoritative voice ― she gritted her teeth together, knowing the agents were right. </p><p>"I'm addicted to oxy, I was out here to buy." She admits, finally and Amber closes her eyes as she walks away ― because if she didn't, she would loose her shit. She knew what that shit did to the human body, and wouldn't want anyone to go through what she had to go through when she was just a mere child.</p><p>"Hey Hotch, the mother just admitted she is addicted to oxy, she was out here to buy when Timmy went missing." Amber says, after the phone rang for a good few minutes. "It took a while, she kept on lying to me." </p><p>"Okay, let's put her into protective custody ― if we're right about this, he's going to go after her as well." He says, and Amber nods silently before cursing herself out as she remembered he couldn't see her. </p><p>"Okay, we'll put her in now." She says before ending the call and walking back towards Morgan, Reid and Ms Tanner. "Our unit chief, and we think it's best for you to go into protective custody Ms Tanner ― there is somewhere out there wanting to hurt you, through your son ― we'll take you home to get some stuff, then I'll drive you back to the precinct." Amber says, and she nods quickly as they all walked away.</p><p>Not noticing they were being watched by an unknown male ― who didn't know they were FBI. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>      "Don't you have to be out there with your team?" Ms Tanner questions as Amber looked out the window ― trying to see if there was anyone there. </p><p>"They can handle it." Amber says, shortly not bothering to look at the oxy addict and victims mother. </p><p>"When I admitted that I took oxy, I saw something in your eyes ― something like, recognition." She says, and Amber freezes up ― her hand was on her holster but it faltered for a second as she took a step back from the window. "I may not be a profiler, or whatever you guys do but something tells me you had a love one that was a drug addict or you were once one yourself." She says, and Amber slides into a chair in front of her.</p><p>"I used to, now this was a very long time ago ― I was a mere child, in the laws eyes. 15, I started doing drugs, my family were strong religions so it was totally against their beliefs when I started ― but I needed a release." She says, as a silent tear rolls down her cheeks. "I overdosed when I was 16, nearly died ― it was then I managed to get clean and join the FBI, it's why I hate the mention of drugs ― especially in child abduction cases." Amber says, wiping the tear away.</p><p>"I'm sorry ― I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." She says before Morgan pops his head through the door. </p><p>"We need you," He says, and Amber nods silently ― pushing herself off of the seat in front of Ms Tanner as Morgan left the hallway. </p><p>"If you ever need help, to get into rehab or just want someone to talk to. I will always be there to listen." She says, before slipping out of the room and headed towards the front area where Hotch, Morgan and Reid were all standing around the table. </p><p>"The kid is back at the house," Morgan says, and Amber sighs in relief. "The guy, this UnSub ― we know is a 911 operator. You were right, this had to be the way he was getting the information on the kids lives." he says and Amber looks at the floor.</p><p>"How did you think of it?" Reid questioned, and Amber looked down at the floor.</p><p>"There is only one way, a kid would ever trust someone they didn't know and that was if they were in uniform or worked in emergency services." Amber says, "Taking from personal experience," She says, before turning on her heel and walking away from the three seasonal agents, who could see there was something else bothering her. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>         "First off you are restricted from my inner Lamborghini."  Garcia says from over Morgan's phone, and Amber looks up from the file she was reading ― a smirk tugging at the edges of her lips before she shook her head.</p><p>"Garcia..." Morgan says, and Garcia interrupted him. </p><p>"No, I mean it. This high-performance engine, may purr like a puma on the prowl, but this time Derek you have seriously overheated my engines, and I will require some cool down laps upon your return, if you know what I mean by that." She says again, and Amber could see both Hotch and Morgan were loosing slowly loosing their patience.</p><p>"Garcia, You're on speaker," Amber says, warning her. "What did you find out?" She finally asks, and she sighs before her fingers were hitting against the keyboard of her computer once again.</p><p>"I'm calling to tell you, sir, there is eleven 911 dispatchers, in the greater St Louis area, that were on duty when the calls were placed, but not working during the murders and abductions, of those 11 there was one that matched your profile and Amber was right, he did have a bad past with drugs and depression." Garcia says and Amber leans back. </p><p>"George Kelling, age 27, 1181 Clay Street, apartment 8." Garcia says, and Amber sighs ― there was no way, he could keep three kids quiet without alerting someone that he had kids in that tiny apartment. </p><p>"Do you know where he is now?" Rossi questioned. </p><p>"He was scheduled to work today. His supervisor said he showed up for his shift, but then he left early." Garcia says as JJ turns her computer around to show a photo of George Kelling. Amber's eyebrows furrowed as she scanned over his face. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>         The killer ― George Kelling had in actual killed his own mother ― said he was helping her, when in actual she was just having long walks because of her depression and it apparently helped her. </p><p>Amber was leaning against the window in the jet, her legs pulled underneath her legs and her eyes were closed ― but they instantly snapped open when she felt the couch slump down beside her.</p><p>Rossi sat at the edge of the sofa, his eyebrows furrowed like he was trying to profile her. "What?" She muttered, sleepily. "Seriously, Rossi. What is it?" She questioned, now sitting up fully and he handed her over his phone which held a picture from Garcia.</p><p>"This was found at the office, we checked it ― and it was a shit ton of drugs, sent to your name. Do you know who it's from?" He questions, and Amber's eyes watered as she pushed the phone back to Rossi and cradled her knees to her chest as silent tears rolled down her cheek. </p><p>It was then Rossi knew that she didn't want to talk about it, so he pulled her into a tight hug. Her tears hitting his shirt, as a silent but heartbreaking sob came out of her parted lips ― it was obvious that she didn't want to talk about it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. nine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>13.02.2004 ➝ 𝒢𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃𝓅𝑜𝓇𝓉 𝒹𝑜𝒸𝓀𝓈<br/>        -</p><p>            The chilly air instantly nipped at her skin ― the fact that she was high, and Micheal had dragged her out to where he collected the drugs from, was insane to her. She ― although high on drugs, knew that this risk could get her in serious trouble if caught.</p><p>"Micheal, please ― can I go home. I really, don't want to be here." Amber whined, Micheal looked over at her before his heavy footsteps hit off of the wet floor boards of the docks. He leaned down so his lips were just hovering over hers.</p><p>"Baby, I swear ― I will not let anything happen to you, I promise." He says, before pressing a kiss to her lips ― in which he savoured for a few seconds later ― before a cough erupted from behind him, he turned to face his older brother ― Derek, who had his arms pressed over his chest.</p><p>"We need to get these into the vans ― otherwise cops will know we've got 'em." He says, giving Amber a dirty look ― he had always hated rich kids, but the fact that his brother was dating one of them ― it was like betrayal at the very best. </p><p>"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." Micheal says, pulling his black, leather jacket off and wraps it around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "I'll be right back, once this is done we can get out of here." He says, and she looks up at him.</p><p>"Promise?" She asks, her lips going into the pout he adored too much, he leaned back down and pecked her lips once more before nodding.</p><p>"I promise, baby." He says, before walking off with Derek ― who in turn, lectured him about how stupid it was to take a rich bitch out to the docks, just in case she snitched ― which Micheal denied extensively that she wouldn't do because it would get her arrested too. </p><p>❦❦❦ </p><p>          Amber sat with her legs crossed over one another ― after the crying session she had into Rossi, she had to see the package for herself so as soon as the jet had landed, she headed straight for the six floor ― where she knew Erin Strauss would have a lot of questions, and she wasn't disappointed.</p><p>"Agent Coulson, can I have a word with you in my office?" The blonde, strict women asks and Amber nods silently. Rossi was still eyeing her up, and Hotch was now narrowing his eyes at his unit section chief.</p><p>"If I may ask, what is this about? Everyone is exhausted, and wants to get home so they can get back to work tomorrow." Hotch says, but Amber shakes her head ― and lets out an exasperated sigh. </p><p>"Hotch. It's fine." Amber confirms, and Hotch looks at her. "It's just a short conversation ― I'll be okay tomorrow," She says, and he sighs before nodding. Strauss had already walked on ahead, so catching up to her was a job and a half for Amber. </p><p>"After you," She says, and Amber slips into the bigger room. It was like Hotch's but bigger, and more messy but that came with a territory. The package, that was sent to her was sitting on the table ― was a top agent from the state, she thought by the suit he was wearing. </p><p>"Miss Coulson, please take a seat ― we do have to take this as serious, since it came to you." He says, and she nods before sitting down and crossing her legs. There wasn't many people that knew about her oxy addiction when she was sixteen but Strauss and this man had to know about it. </p><p>"Todd, may I ask something?" Amber questions, the older male ― and he nods. "After my oxy overdose, I cut all contacts with everyone that I came in contact with ― I also went to the police about their shipments." She says, and Agent Axel Todd nodded.</p><p>"But yet, you were sent this from Greenport. Any ideas why?" He questions, and she shakes her head silently but she knew somewhat of the reason ― she hadn't told the cops everything that went on down in the docks, because they were threatening Ola and India's safety. </p><p>"I have yet to figure out myself, was there a letter sent ― maybe I can profile who it was through that," She says, and Wong shakes his head before standing up and Strauss puts her projector on.</p><p>"No need, post office employees in Greenport ― id the three that dropped the packages off." He says, and there stood two girls, and one male ― Strauss watched as Amber's eyes showed recognition on one of the females and the male. </p><p>"Do you know them?" Strauss asks, and Amber stands up abruptly. She pulled out her phone, and typed in a number she had never thought she'd call in a situation like this. </p><p>"She shouldn't be doing this, he promised, he would never take her into this ― seems like he broke that promise." Amber says, as the person on the other end of the phone answered. "What the hell were you thinking!" She scolded, and the person on the other end stumbled backwards.</p><p>"What are you talking about?" The soft spoken voice said through the phone ― which only ended in Amber clenching her teeth together, as she glared at the security cameras that had picked her up.</p><p>"Why don't you tell me why you were at the post office, sending drugs to my work place?" She asks, accusingly. A small gasp was heard, and she smirked ― knowing she had know gotten to the point with her, where she couldn't lie.</p><p>"It was his idea, honestly. I didn't want any part of it, I swear on my sister's grave." She says, and Amber sighs before shaking her head. "Amber, he was threatening you, and Ola. He said... oh god, he said if I didn't do it, he would kill the both of you. I'm so sorry!" She sobbed and Amber rakes her hand through her hair. </p><p>"You could've come to me, we could've sorted this out!" She snapped right back. "You need to facetime me right now, you need to talk to me, and my bosses." She says, and the women sighed before nodding before realising Amber can't see her yet.</p><p>"Okay," She says, as Amber connects her phone to the projector. That's when her name for Facetime popped up. Her blonde hair disheveled, and her blue eyes puffy from crying ― but t wasn't that she took notice off. It was the first time, India had seen her sister since she was sixteen. </p><p>"I'm so sorry Amber! I really am!" She says, nearly breaking down again. </p><p>"Todd, Strauss. Meet my youngest sister, India." Amber says, and India looks up.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. ten</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"India, I hope you know that I can protect myself." Amber says, crossing her arms over her chest and glares at the screen. The blonde girl, that had only turned 17, a couple months back, nods before silently looking at the floor in her greenport home. </p><p>"I know, but he was threatening Ola. She has been my legal guardian since, mum and Peter died." She admitted, and Amber stumbled back. She hadn't known that her mum had died, but she cared less that Peter had.</p><p>"When?" She questioned, her eyes watering. "When did she die?" Amber questioned, and Axel looked at her worriedly ― not only was she one of the best agents he had ever met, but she was also basically his best friend ― the two had become extremely close after she had told him of her near death experience like him ― he had did drugs when he was seventeen and almost died. </p><p>"Just before I managed to get in contact with you," India had admitted and Amber froze up. "Look, I've got to go ― Ola just came in her with her husband, and she doesn't know that I have been talking to you. I love you Am." She says before ending the call. </p><p>❦❦❦ </p><p>          The drive home from the office was silent ― Axel had offered to drive her home, in which she accepted gratefully ― knowing in the end, Axel would probably be staying at hers tonight. "Do you want me to stay tonight?" He questions, after he parks outside her door. She ignored his question, but not intentionally, "Amber?" He questioned, softly ― putting his hand on her shoulder which shook her out of her daydream.</p><p>"What did you ask?" She questioned, almost a whisper. He looked at her softly ― and reached out to push a brown hair away from her face.</p><p>"I asked, do you want me to stay tonight?" He questioned ― and Amber wasn't surprised, Amber always loved him staying over ― and his boyfriend didn't mind, partly because Axel was gay and would never cheat on him. He loved him too much. </p><p>"Yeah, if that's alright with you ― and Declan?" She questioned and he chuckled. </p><p>"Do you want me to get Declan over as well, it'll be like old times." Axel teases ― the three had been friends since Amber was seventeen and had enrolled herself in D.C high school that the two were attending.</p><p>"Yeah, I just want it to be us three tonight ― with movies, pizza, and ice cream." Amber says, and Axel nods before picking up his phone to call Declan ― in which, she zoned their whole conversation out before she felt herself getting lifted out of the car. </p><p>"Axel! Put me down!" She screamed, as giggles came out of her mouth ― she was flung effortlessly over his shoulder, and her fists was pounding into his back. He chuckled as he walked towards her apartment a fiddled with her keys that he had managed to slip out of her bag ― unnoticed.</p><p>"Welcome home," Axel says, putting her down on two feet. Amber took deep breaths, as he reminded her off home ― her mother had died two years ago, and she wasn't there to bury her. Axel noticed the change in her demeanour, and looked at her weirdly. "Did I say anything wron―" That's when he realised what had happened.</p><p>"Oh, Amber. It wasn't your fault." He says, pulling her into him ― his hoodies, strings strung down in front of her face and she sobbed into his shoulder. His arms were wrapped around her protectively as her apartment door opened, and Declan rushed in to find his other half and best friend hugging one another. </p><p>"I brought pizza and ice cream. Axel, go get blankets ― I've got her." He says, and Axel turns to look at him before nodding ― Declan rushed forward and pulled her into his arms, and Amber sobbed into his arms. "It's okay, shh. Come on Am's, I hate seeing you like this." Declan soothed, pushing his lips against her forehead. </p><p>"I wasn't there for her when she died! How can I forgive myself for that?" Amber asked, and Declan sighed ― closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against her forehead. They didn't notice Axel taking a photo ― nor putting it as his lock screen.</p><p>"Okay, what movie are we going to watch?" Axel finally asked, after a few minutes. Amber looks over her shoulder as he held up Anna which had her favourite actor Cillian Murphy in it and Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock. Amber's lips turned into a smirk as she pointed at Psycho ― although she sees enough gruesome things at work she was in desperate need of watching a horror, an original one at that. </p><p>"Of course." Declan laughed as he pulled away from Amber to set up the blankets on the couch as Amber jumped onto the seat as she pushed the remaining tears away as Axel and Declan both sat down beside her and pulled the blankets up around them. </p><p>Axel clicked play on the horror, and Amber cuddled up into his side as Declan leaned against her ― she felt her eyelids start to droop after the first half an hour but it wasn't till near the end when Norman Bates was arrested that she finally let the sleep overtake her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. eleven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If it wasn't because of the constant ringing of her phone, Amber wouldn't be standing in the kitchen ― making three coffees, putting two in the microwave and one into a to go cup ― she had just been called in on another case and to put it lightly, she wasn't really wanting to go but she knew that somewhere out there, someone was having a worse week than her or day even. </p><p>Hotch had called her almost half an hour ago, "You shouldn't be going ― you just found out the worst possible news and you're still going in?" Axel questioned, surprising the brunette that was pouring coffee into her mug ― making a drop go onto her thumb.</p><p>"Merda," She cursed in her native tongue of Spanish. "Fuck, that hurt." She cursed, quickly running it under cold water. She heard him sigh, before he walked towards her and grabbed a bit of kitchen roll to roll around her finger. "Axel, it's a small burn. I'm fine." She emphasizes. </p><p>"No, really Amber. I don't think you are ― maybe you―" He was about to say but she put up her hand to stop him. When she had made up her mind, there was no way you were going to be able to talk her out of it. </p><p>"Axel. I swear to you, I will be fine ― and if it makes you feel better. I will call you every night before I go to sleep." Amber says and he holds out his pinky finger like he used to do when they were in high school.</p><p>"Pinky promise?" He questioned and she giggled lightly, before wrapping her pinky around his and she nodded.</p><p>"Whether it is at 3 in the morning or at ten at night. I pinky promise I will." She says and Axel sighs before nodding in agreement, and letting her slip out of the apartment and he turns to face Declan's sleeping body before walking back over and curling up beside him. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>       Derek Morgan and Amber walked towards a very distraught Penelope Garcia who was standing with a police officer. "We've got it from here, officer." Amber says, showing off her badge and he nods before walking away. </p><p>"So, any word?" Derek asks and Garcia shakes her head before gnawing on her lips. </p><p>"No, but I just have this terrible gut feeling." She says, clutching her hand on her chest and Amber felt sympathy towards the blonde women. "And that officer wouldn't listen, I." Amber saw the tears forming in the girls eyes. </p><p>"Penelope, we believe you. We do." Derek says, putting his hand on her shoulder ― rubbing it softly, trying to give her some comfort and Amber wrapped her arms around her shoulder. "But I need you to keep your head in the game, can you do that for me?" He questions and she nods silently.</p><p>"Yeah, Okay. I'm sorry," She says, looking away from both of them. Derek sighs lightly, still holding his hand on her shoulder. </p><p>"Is there any chance, Monica left with anyone?" Derek asks, and Amber sighs as she looks in the car with her flashlight to see if there was anything that was still there, that could show where this Monica could have gone. </p><p>"No, no, not today." Garcia says and Derek looks up at her. Amber's eyebrows cocked a brow at her, wondering why on earth she would never leave on this day. "Yesterday was the anniversary of her daughters abduction," She says and Amber closes her eyes. </p><p>"How long has her daughter been missing?" Amber questions, cracking a finger ― and tilting one of her rings around her index finger. </p><p>"5 years, and that's how long I've know her." Garcia says, and Amber looks at Derek ― there was definitely was something bad going on and she now had a bad gut feeling ― much like Garcia, when her gut tells her something, it tells her a lot. </p><p>"And her daughters abductor, did they ever catch him?" Derek asks, after walking around the car.  Amber clenches her fists, knowing there wasn't something quiet right ― with this case. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>          "Garcia, I'll do the presentation." Hotch says, entering the conference room as Amber stood near the window as she talks quietly over the phone to someone ― which made Garcia and Hotch, cock a brow at her partly because it was a silent argument between someone unknown on the other side. </p><p>"Oh no, I can do it sir." Garcia says but Hotch denies. </p><p>"I'll do it," Hotch demands and she nods before handing him the remote, as she writes a report, which although Amber found strange, she was on the phone ― so she couldn't question her, and she was arguing with Axel about some stupid thing. </p><p>"Thank you Sir," Garcia says, and Amber sighed before ending the call. She sits down beside Garcia, and holds her hand tightly. </p><p>"It's going to be alright, we'll find her." She says as Emily, JJ, Derek, Rossi and Spencer all entered the conference room ― they were all looking at her with sympathetic looks but she looked down at her hands. </p><p>"Seven years ago yesterday, in Manassas, Virginia ― 8 year old Hope Kingston disappeared from her front yard, while playing with a friend." Hotch says, and Amber felt her heart break for the mother ― Monica, because of the loose of a child ― something of innocence. </p><p>"She's been presumed dead," Hotch says, also looking at the floor and Amber takes a deep breath as tears threatened to leave her eyes but she pushed them back ― that poor kid, she thought.</p><p>"A few hours ago, her mother, Monica disappeared from a parking lot after attending Garcia's support group." Morgan says, and Garcia tightened her hold on Amber's hand ― she knew how hard this was for the blonde women. </p><p>"It's not uncommon for UnSub's to reach out to the parents relatives. Joran Van Der Sloot extorted twenty five thousand dollars from Natalee Holloway's mother in exchange for information." Spencer says and Amber sighs.</p><p>"It's true, it's not unusual for Unsub's to reach out to parents or even relatives like godparents." Amber says, rubbing her finger over Garcia's hand ― trying to sooth the upset women. </p><p>"Do we think both abductions are related?" Rossi questions after rubbing his chin for a few minutes. Amber tilted her head to the side as Garcia looked at her with pleading eyes for her to talk. </p><p>"We found a letter inside Monica's car, signed by her daughter Hope." Amber spoke up, "Me and Derek arrived at the scene after Garcia called the police," Amber says, informing the rest of the team on how she knew this. </p><p>"We can't rule out suicide." Rossi says, and Amber felt Garcia tremble ― and Amber sighed. </p><p>"No, I don't think so ― Garcia seems pretty adamant, and we both know her, me and Garcia." Amber says. "I know her, she wouldn't do something like that ― she was upset yes, but she wouldn't go off and commit suicide." Amber says. </p><p>"You go to the victim support groups?" Rossi asks and Amber looks at the floor. </p><p>"Yes, she comes to support me." Garcia conforms, even though she knew that wasn't the truth ― she was just trying to protect the Coulson women and Amber sent her a tight smile, thanking her slightly. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>     "Amber." Garcia says, sitting beside her in the conference room. "You can go help you know, I don't want you to feel useless." She says and Amber looks at her with a hard look. </p><p>"Pen, I'm not leaving you. God knows what will happen if I leave you." She says, holding her hand tightly and Garcia nods before leaning her head against her shoulder as silent tears rolled down Amber's cheek as she remembers the real reason she was at the support group anyway. </p><p>"I know its hard, but I think it's time you tell me why you really come to the support group," Pen says, "It will help me get my mind off of Monica." She says, and Amber looks at the floor before nodding and walking to sit in a seat in front of Penelope. </p><p>"It all started in 2002. When I was friends with a girl called Amanda." She says, as a silent tear threatened to fall out of her eye as Penelope held her hand tightly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. twelve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If it wasn't because of the constant ringing of her phone, Amber wouldn't be standing in the kitchen ― making three coffees, putting two in the microwave and one into a to go cup ― she had just been called in on another case and to put it lightly, she wasn't really wanting to go but she knew that somewhere out there, someone was having a worse week than her or day even. </p><p>Hotch had called her almost half an hour ago, "You shouldn't be going ― you just found out the worst possible news and you're still going in?" Axel questioned, surprising the brunette that was pouring coffee into her mug ― making a drop go onto her thumb.</p><p>"Merda," She cursed in her native tongue of Spanish. "Fuck, that hurt." She cursed, quickly running it under cold water. She heard him sigh, before he walked towards her and grabbed a bit of kitchen roll to roll around her finger. "Axel, it's a small burn. I'm fine." She emphasizes. </p><p>"No, really Amber. I don't think you are ― maybe you―" He was about to say but she put up her hand to stop him. When she had made up her mind, there was no way you were going to be able to talk her out of it. </p><p>"Axel. I swear to you, I will be fine ― and if it makes you feel better. I will call you every night before I go to sleep." Amber says and he holds out his pinky finger like he used to do when they were in high school.</p><p>"Pinky promise?" He questioned and she giggled lightly, before wrapping her pinky around his and she nodded.</p><p>"Whether it is at 3 in the morning or at ten at night. I pinky promise I will." She says and Axel sighs before nodding in agreement, and letting her slip out of the apartment and he turns to face Declan's sleeping body before walking back over and curling up beside him. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>       Derek Morgan and Amber walked towards a very distraught Penelope Garcia who was standing with a police officer. "We've got it from here, officer." Amber says, showing off her badge and he nods before walking away. </p><p>"So, any word?" Derek asks and Garcia shakes her head before gnawing on her lips. </p><p>"No, but I just have this terrible gut feeling." She says, clutching her hand on her chest and Amber felt sympathy towards the blonde women. "And that officer wouldn't listen, I." Amber saw the tears forming in the girls eyes. </p><p>"Penelope, we believe you. We do." Derek says, putting his hand on her shoulder ― rubbing it softly, trying to give her some comfort and Amber wrapped her arms around her shoulder. "But I need you to keep your head in the game, can you do that for me?" He questions and she nods silently.</p><p>"Yeah, Okay. I'm sorry," She says, looking away from both of them. Derek sighs lightly, still holding his hand on her shoulder. </p><p>"Is there any chance, Monica left with anyone?" Derek asks, and Amber sighs as she looks in the car with her flashlight to see if there was anything that was still there, that could show where this Monica could have gone. </p><p>"No, no, not today." Garcia says and Derek looks up at her. Amber's eyebrows cocked a brow at her, wondering why on earth she would never leave on this day. "Yesterday was the anniversary of her daughters abduction," She says and Amber closes her eyes. </p><p>"How long has her daughter been missing?" Amber questions, cracking a finger ― and tilting one of her rings around her index finger. </p><p>"5 years, and that's how long I've know her." Garcia says, and Amber looks at Derek ― there was definitely was something bad going on and she now had a bad gut feeling ― much like Garcia, when her gut tells her something, it tells her a lot. </p><p>"And her daughters abductor, did they ever catch him?" Derek asks, after walking around the car.  Amber clenches her fists, knowing there wasn't something quiet right ― with this case. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>          "Garcia, I'll do the presentation." Hotch says, entering the conference room as Amber stood near the window as she talks quietly over the phone to someone ― which made Garcia and Hotch, cock a brow at her partly because it was a silent argument between someone unknown on the other side. </p><p>"Oh no, I can do it sir." Garcia says but Hotch denies. </p><p>"I'll do it," Hotch demands and she nods before handing him the remote, as she writes a report, which although Amber found strange, she was on the phone ― so she couldn't question her, and she was arguing with Axel about some stupid thing. </p><p>"Thank you Sir," Garcia says, and Amber sighed before ending the call. She sits down beside Garcia, and holds her hand tightly. </p><p>"It's going to be alright, we'll find her." She says as Emily, JJ, Derek, Rossi and Spencer all entered the conference room ― they were all looking at her with sympathetic looks but she looked down at her hands. </p><p>"Seven years ago yesterday, in Manassas, Virginia ― 8 year old Hope Kingston disappeared from her front yard, while playing with a friend." Hotch says, and Amber felt her heart break for the mother ― Monica, because of the loose of a child ― something of innocence. </p><p>"She's been presumed dead," Hotch says, also looking at the floor and Amber takes a deep breath as tears threatened to leave her eyes but she pushed them back ― that poor kid, she thought.</p><p>"A few hours ago, her mother, Monica disappeared from a parking lot after attending Garcia's support group." Morgan says, and Garcia tightened her hold on Amber's hand ― she knew how hard this was for the blonde women. </p><p>"It's not uncommon for UnSub's to reach out to the parents relatives. Joran Van Der Sloot extorted twenty five thousand dollars from Natalee Holloway's mother in exchange for information." Spencer says and Amber sighs.</p><p>"It's true, it's not unusual for Unsub's to reach out to parents or even relatives like godparents." Amber says, rubbing her finger over Garcia's hand ― trying to sooth the upset women. </p><p>"Do we think both abductions are related?" Rossi questions after rubbing his chin for a few minutes. Amber tilted her head to the side as Garcia looked at her with pleading eyes for her to talk. </p><p>"We found a letter inside Monica's car, signed by her daughter Hope." Amber spoke up, "Me and Derek arrived at the scene after Garcia called the police," Amber says, informing the rest of the team on how she knew this. </p><p>"We can't rule out suicide." Rossi says, and Amber felt Garcia tremble ― and Amber sighed. </p><p>"No, I don't think so ― Garcia seems pretty adamant, and we both know her, me and Garcia." Amber says. "I know her, she wouldn't do something like that ― she was upset yes, but she wouldn't go off and commit suicide." Amber says. </p><p>"You go to the victim support groups?" Rossi asks and Amber looks at the floor. </p><p>"Yes, she comes to support me." Garcia conforms, even though she knew that wasn't the truth ― she was just trying to protect the Coulson women and Amber sent her a tight smile, thanking her slightly. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>     "Amber." Garcia says, sitting beside her in the conference room. "You can go help you know, I don't want you to feel useless." She says and Amber looks at her with a hard look. </p><p>"Pen, I'm not leaving you. God knows what will happen if I leave you." She says, holding her hand tightly and Garcia nods before leaning her head against her shoulder as silent tears rolled down Amber's cheek as she remembers the real reason she was at the support group anyway. </p><p>"I know its hard, but I think it's time you tell me why you really come to the support group," Pen says, "It will help me get my mind off of Monica." She says, and Amber looks at the floor before nodding and walking to sit in a seat in front of Penelope. </p><p>"It all started in 2002. When I was friends with a girl called Amanda." She says, as a silent tear threatened to fall out of her eye as Penelope held her hand tightly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. thirteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I just got a hit on someone matching Monica's description at a gas station 17 miles outside of Manassas." Garcia says, typing away at one of the computers in the area near the conference room. Amber was sitting on a desk, writing in a report and her eyes instantly makes contact with Garcia. </p><p>Hotch and Reid were beside her in an instant as Amber continued to finish off the report and put it back on her desk - reminding herself to hand it into Hotch before she leaves, before joining the other two agents behind Garcia to watch the footage. </p><p>They all watched as a man walked out first then Monica sprinting after them, Amber noticed that Hope wasn't with them. "He used a different ruse, Hope's not there." Amber says, biting on her lip. "He could've said he knew where she was." Amber offers and Hotch nods in agreement.</p><p>"Looks like they are having a conversation." Reid says. </p><p>"She's cooperating, Garcia can you get any closer?" Hotch questions, and Amber leans down beside her. She wanted to see if she get could a better look at him without her having to zoom in. </p><p>"No. No, I can't get a good look at him." Garcia denies and Amber shakes her head, the camera was off ― it only showed off half his face. </p><p>"Look at his body language, he his shielding himself away from the cameras." Spencer says. </p><p>"He knows where they are, he's been there before ― maybe on the way to his work, or home?" Amber says, and Hotch and Reid nodded their heads slightly in agreement as Garcia put her hand on Amber's knowing how hard this was for her ― since the two had formed more of a close bond than Monica and Garcia had. </p><p>"Why isn't Monica asking for help?" Garcia asks and Amber sighs. </p><p>"She doesn't want to draw attention to herself." Hotch says, standing beside the two of them. </p><p>"She leaves but the UnSub stays?" Reid asks as they watch Monica storm out of the gas station, this caused Amber's eyebrows to raise ― that was unusual that had never happened before in her experience of being an agent. </p><p>"I don't understand." Garcia says and that's when Amber realises something and so does Hotch.</p><p>"He's got complete control." He says and Amber looks up at him before nodding in agreement. </p><p>❦❦❦ </p><p>         "He might've abducted Monica as a reward for good behaviour." Spencer says, as he sits down on the chair that belongs to his desk. Amber had her legs curled up underneath her as she bites on her lower lip. </p><p>Monica had been there for her in many ways ― other's could not be. "Or he could be getting off on the fact that he successfully abducted a mother and her child." Rossi continues and Amber rubs her fingers on her temples ― she was getting a migraine from this. </p><p>"Monica's statement on the day of Hope's abduction confirmed that she had made a purchase at that same gas station, hours before the abduction." JJ says and Amber stands up and puts her hand out. </p><p>"Can I see the report?" Amber asks, and JJ nods before handing it to her ― Amber knew that there had to be something special about this gas store because of his recent visit with Monica. He wouldn't go out of the way to do that if there wasn't a special reason. </p><p>"It's not a coincidence that he brought Monica from that particular gas station to her old house." Rossi says and Amber shuts the file. </p><p>"That's because it's not. He's reliving where he first met Hope ― and how he stalked her, and then took her." Amber says. "He wants to remember, because Hope is probably no longer alive. We all know the statistics, offenders like this only like a certain age range, and as soon as Hope hit another age ― he probably or most likely killed her." Amber says, tears going to her eyes as she puts the report down beside her. </p><p>"He's taken Monica because she reminds her of Hope." Hotch says, agreeing with what Amber had just said ― it made more sense that what he was originally hoping, that the team would be able to save Monica and Hope. </p><p>"This is everything the Manassas PD had on Hope's investigation." Garcia says, entering the desk area and everyone looked away ― not really wanting to tell Penelope that her friends daughter, is probably dead and he only took Monica because she reminded her off Hope. </p><p>"All right, let's get too work." Hotch says as everyone grabs a file and sits down at their desks. Garcia sat down beside Amber, and tapped her shoulder. </p><p>"There's someone here for you, says it's important." She whispers and Amber cocks a brow. "Female, maybe teenage years ― blonde?" Garcia whispers, and Amber was out of her chair and walking towards the entrance. </p><p>"India, what are you doing here?" Amber questions, finding her younger sister sitting at the edge of the entrance to the sixth floor. She was crying, "India. What happened?" She questioned, sitting down beside her and she leaned into Amber. </p><p>"She kicked me out!" She sobbed, and Amber's eyes widened. "My foster parents kicked me out, and I don't know where Ola is!" She weeps and Amber closes her eyes as she feels her younger sister shake into her.</p><p>"Okay, Okay. India, I need you to breathe. Breathe." She says, pulling her sister back so she could look into her eyes. "That's it. Okay, I'm going to give you the keys to my apartment and call someone that will take you there. Okay, his names Axel. I trust him." Amber says and she nods before hugging Amber again.</p><p>"Thank you, for everything." She whispers, and Amber nods before turning around. India can't believe she had just did what she did, but if she didn't he would hurt him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. fourteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"We're ready to deliver the profile." JJ says, putting her hand on Amber's shoulder as she washes her face in the bathroom. India's arrival in DC had totally shocked her, she didn't know what to do about it or say about it. </p><p>"I'll be there in a minute," Amber says, not looking at JJ. JJ eyebrows furrowed but left the bathroom anyway. There was something weird about India's appearance, and Amber couldn't put her finger on it.</p><p>Once she had calmed herself down she headed towards the BAU office, and opened the door. She walked towards Morgan and leaned against her desk, one foot propped against her chair, the other on the floor. </p><p>"Seven years ago, we thought our UnSub was a preferential child molester." Morgan says, crossing his arms over his chest as Amber gnawed on her bottom lip. </p><p>"And now we thinks his preference evolved into an erotomaniac obsession with Hope Kingston." Hotch says. </p><p>"Even much more now, since he misses her presence. He is focusing in on her mother, Monica." Amber speaks up, twirling her foot and gnawing on her bottom lip.</p><p>"At the time Hope went missing, there was another potential victim, who was the same age, and had the same physical characteristics as Hope and was even more accessible." Emily says. </p><p>"Which tells us that Hope became his idealised target." Hotch says. </p><p>"Despite the high risk, the UnSub abducted Monica in public, which shows she is pivotal to his fantasy." Rossi says, and Amber looks over to see Garcia getting increasingly scared for Monica and she couldn't blame the blonde. </p><p>"We believe the UnSub has Monica captive within a twenty mile radius of this abduction site." Reid says, pointing to the map where the markers were to show where they had stopped, abduction sites and everything else. </p><p>"There is a strong possibility until recently the UnSub kept Hope alive. This explains why he didn't hunt again after all these years." JJ says, and Amber bites the inside of her cheek. There was a possibility that was true or she had died a few days after being abducted. </p><p>"And that it was Hope's death that triggered the change in his MO." Hotch says. Anderson looked at Hotch with a tilted head. </p><p>"If the same guy has her, How long does she really have?" Anderson asks, and Amber tilts her head. </p><p>"The possibility is that if she doesn't say anything wrong ―- or says anything that sets him off. She might survive until we find her." Amber says, twisting her ring around her thumb - also biting her tongue to not say anything snarky towards Anderson.</p><p>"I know her." Garcia says standing up. "I know Monica. Monica is a friend, and she is a fighter." She says, defending her friend as the rest of the team including Amber to look at her. "And she is not going to give up, so neither should we." She says, and Amber's lips turned up into a small smile at the confidence of her friend to stand up and proudly talk out. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>      "In his fantasy, he might envision Hope at a more desirable age." Emily says, as everyone talked about their suspect. A man called William Rogers, that Amber knew - because he was sympathetic to both her and Monica. </p><p>"What story did he use to get into the support group?" Rossi asks. </p><p>"His wife committed suicide when she was pregnant, that's the story he used but I don't think he was talking about his wife anymore." Amber comments, and everyone turns to look at the brunette. "I think he was talking about Hope." She says, and that's when a stray tear rolls down her cheek. </p><p>"Hope couldn't bear the thought of bringing his child into this world, so she took what little control she did have, and ended her life." Rossi says, and Amber closed her eyes ― no innocent child, or teenage should have to go through that ― ever.</p><p>"And that was never part of his plan. It turned his whole life upside down." Emily says, putting her hand on Amber's shoulder and squeezed gently, soothing the younger agent. The mixture of Monica's disappearance and India's appearance was building up on her.</p><p>"He's not ready to let go of the bond he had with Hope." Rossi says. </p><p>"And now he's trying to get that back what was taken away from him." Reid finishes off. </p><p>"Wouldn't it just be easier for him to start over again?" Emily asks, and Amber shakes her head. </p><p>"He had too much of a connection with Hope. In his mind, there would probably be no one that could live up to her ― maybe not even Monica herself." Amber says, finally opening her eyes. </p><p>❦❦❦</p><p>       They had managed to save Monica, Bill finally let her go ― and Amber couldn't be happier about it so when she came to the office to find Axel talking to two police officers, her eyebrows instantly furrowed. </p><p>"What the hell?" She muttered, as she watched Axel turned to face her before he walked towards her. "What happened?" Amber whispered, noticing who it was ― Alec Freaken Black was standing in her work place. </p><p>"Amber." He whispered, putting his hand on her shoulder. "India has got herself into some trouble, back in Greenport ― 'apparently the girl was seen down near the docks." He says, and her eyes widened. </p><p>No. She thought, no, no, this could not be happening again. She thought, but she knew ― she knew by the look in Axel's face that he was telling the truth and everything that happened to her, was happening to her younger sister all over again. </p><p>"Amber." Hotch says. "Is everything alright?" He says, seeing the tense posture of the women ― who had grown on most of the team. She took a deep breath before turning to face him.</p><p>"Can I get some time off, I need to fix something with my family. She got herself into some trouble?" She questioned, and he looked at her before nodding. </p><p>"Of course, just be careful." He says and she nods, before heading towards Alec. </p><p>"Okay, what the hell did my sister do to get you all up in her business?" She asks the now 50 year old male. He sneered at her, he had always disliked her but to see that she was working for the same people he was thinking of inviting in was making him dislike her even more. </p><p>"She was found with Derek, Micheal's brother." He says, and she stumbles backwards and gritted her teeth together, that little fucker.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. fifteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amber had finally arrived back in DC, from the longest three weeks off her life — not only had she had to sit through a two week trial, she had to deal with narcissistic lawyers on both sides of the court, she had to deal with her little sister almost going to jail for something she didn't commit. </p><p>Amber and Ola definitely had to grow up faster than most adults there age — Ola, gained custody over India when the blonde girl was just 12 years old, and she herself was 21. Yet, Ola never tried to look for her middle sister, she never asked for help. </p><p>"Amber?" Garcia's voice, floated through the hallways connecting the BAU office and her bat cave as she liked to call it. Amber turned around to see the blonde looking shocked and surprised. "Oh my god, It really is you!" She squealed, rushing towards her and wrapping her in a tight hug. </p><p>"Hey Pen." Amber says, rubbing her back gently as to get her to stop squeezing her so tight that she was cutting off her circulation, "I missed you — you excitable goofball." She says, as Penelope pulls back and Garcia gives her a weird look before smiling.</p><p>"I missed you too, now come on — we've got a case and it's a bad one." She says, and Amber groans — great, a case on the first day back — what more could she possibly want? Her heels clicking off the floor, alerted everyone of Garcia's presence and then they spotted Amber right on her heels. </p><p>"Amber!" JJ nearly shouted, before launching herself at the younger agent. It had been three weeks but it felt like almost a year too JJ — partly because she saw herself in Amber, they had always been close to one another.</p><p>Amber looked around to see no Emily, and no Derek either. "Where's Prentiss and Morgan?" She questioned softly, and JJ looked up — seeing the two by the door and nodded her head towards them. </p><p>"Why don't you have a look." She murmurs and Amber looks over her shoulder to see the two agents chatting, a very tense talk apparently as well — until Prentiss made eye contact with Amber and looked shocked.</p><p>"Oh my god! Your back." She speaks, startled as Amber walks up to the two of them. Emily hugged her before looking over to see JJ calling her over. "You've got to be screwing me." She mutters, angrily before walking away.</p><p>"Good to see you too Morgan." Amber teases, before he wraps her in a tight hug — lifting her off the floor, and Amber wraps her arms around his neck to keep herself steady. "Oh my god, put me down." She whispers, hitting his shoulder with her elbow and he let out a string of small chuckles before setting her down on the floor before Amber made eye contact with Garcia. </p><p>"Jesus. Come on, we have a case." She says, grabbing Morgan's hand and dragging him towards the conference room. </p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>         "San Berdino, California. Two home invasions in less than a week, only a block apart, exact same MO." Garcia starts, when everyone had sat down at their seats — Amber had her pen between her lips as she watches Garcia shoot photos up onto the screens. </p><p>"Both houses were burgled, power and phone lines were cut, and they broke in from a backdoor window." Garcia says, lacing her fingers together in front of her — Amber was gnawing on the top of her pen as she looked over the file. </p><p>"In each case, the whole family was shot and killed?" Spencer asks from beside Amber, and she hums, saddened that even the kids were killed — in these home invasions, the one place they were supposed to be safe.</p><p>"Yes, that is right. Let me present to you, the Mitchells and the Lewis families." Garcia says, the Mitchells had two young kids and the Lewis had a young girl and a baby boy — Jesus, Amber thought.</p><p>"They took out the power and the phone lines to isolate them, their alarm systems wouldn't work and they couldn't call for help." Rossi says and Amber looks up.</p><p>"They must be experienced, you don't just go from robbery to full blown murder like this." Amber states, throwing a piece of her long brown hair behind her shoulder — as Derek looked at her — she looked exhausted, like she had come straight here after her flight from her home town. </p><p>No one knew where Amber was born, all they knew was that she never wanted to go back there and they never asked, thinking it had to be a good reason to never go back there. </p><p>"Most modern alarms have a back up generator, and a cell phone connection with the security company." Spencer says from beside Amber, not dismissing the idea of the fact that these UnSub's or singular UnSub has robbed before. </p><p>"Yeah but the Mitchell's had an older system, and the Lewises were behind on their account, so it was inactive." Garcia says, and Amber leans back — there was the kicker, and the UnSub had to know this to be able to get into these houses — unless they were randomly picked but no one was that lucky. </p><p>"He had to be stalking them or in their personal circle to know that was what was going on, no one is that lucky." Amber muttered and the team looked at her before nodding in agreement — also noticing the dark circles underneath Amber's eyes.</p><p>That's when her phone went off and she looked at the name, it was India's lawyer. "Sorry, this is important. I've got to take it." She says, standing up and brushing off her legs before heading towards the door and into a more secluded area of the office. </p><p>"Yes, this is Agent Coulson." She says, answering the phone.</p><p>"Hi, it's Billy Anderson. We did what you asked, and seen if she was any foster care facilities but she never was — she's always been in Ola's custody. We also thought you would like to know that she has been acquitted." Billy says, and Amber sighs in relief at the answer of her being acquitted, but why had she lied about being kicked out? It just didn't make much sense. </p><p>"Thank you, Billy. I'll see you later." She says, before hanging up the phone and looking out the window — wondering what the hell was going on, that was making her lie to her.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. sixteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amber had to talk to Axel before she left, it was something Strauss and the state agent had requested she did every time before she left for a case — not like Hotch knew that, of course. He didn't even know about her friendship with Axel. </p><p>Amber's hand was firm against the state agents door, and as soon as she opened the door. She wished she hadn't, "Jesus Christ, Declan! Put some clothes on, Axel — you're at work." She scolds, like a mother that had caught her disobedient son having intercourse with his boyfriend. </p><p>Declan's head snapped to see Amber standing by the door, her brown hair tied in a high bun and her lips pressed into a thin line. "Amber!" He shouted, his voice laced with horror and embarrassment — but he saw her lips tug up into a small smile.</p><p>"You're back?" Axel asks, pulling his shirt over his head and tried to make himself look more presentable. "Obviously, otherwise you wouldn't be standing there." He mutters stupidly to himself. </p><p>"What, you think I'm a hologram? That shit only exists in stuff such as star wars and Shadowhunters." She refers to two of Axel's favourite movies and shows. Axel scowled at her, before looking confused. </p><p>"You have a case?" He asks her, and she slowly shuts the door — looking for anyone that could hear what she was going to say next. </p><p>"India was acquitted," She speaks up, as she plops herself down onto the seat next to Declan. Declan wraps his left arm around her shoulder, as she leans against him. "However, she lied. She never had foster parents." She murmured from his shoulder. </p><p>"What was that, I couldn't quite hear you since your smothering your face into my boyfriends shoulder." Axel says, tight lipped and a smirk appeared on Amber's face as she looked up — before It dropped again when she reminded herself of what she said.</p><p>"I said, she lied. Why would she lie?" She questions, and Declan's face contorted into confusion. He didn't work in the Bureau but he always came over at his lunch time, which she suspect is why he was here. </p><p>"India known for lying?" Axel asks, coming to the front of his desk and sits on it. </p><p>"Nope. That would be me." Amber speaks, and Axel just shakes his head as he lets out an irritated sigh. There had to be a reason for India to lie to her sister — but what could it possibly be?</p><p>Amber looked at her watch, and cursed. "I've got to go, Hotch said wheels up in 20. I've got two minutes to get to the jet — see you two when I get back, and don't do anything I wouldn't do." She says and Declan laughs. </p><p>"Yes 'mom'." He mocks and she throws him a hard glare before shaking her head and leaving the office, and Declan turned towards Axel. "You thinking about the reason why India would lie to her?" he questions. </p><p>"I haven't told Amber this, and you have to swear that you won't." He says, and Declan nods. "When I arrived to pick India up, she wasn't here — like anywhere in the building, it was like she just vanished — and when I got to Amber's apartment — it was trashed. Amanda's necklace that she gave her, it's missing." Axel says, and Declan looks at him — shock and horror written over his face. </p><p>"Axel," He warns and Axel nods, knowing exactly what he was thinking. </p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>      "You almost missed the jet, what the hell happened?" Derek asks, standing beside Amber as she poured herself some coffee — the brunette rolled her eyes before looking up at the African - American man in front of her. </p><p>"Nothing, just had to talk to someone — and forgot the time." She mutters, as she sips on the edge of her coffee cup and Morgan cocks a brow. </p><p>"You got a boyfriend we don't know about?" He questions, and she chokes — letting out a laugh in between. </p><p>"My god, no. He's gay." She says, as Morgan rubs her back. "Look, time just runs away when your talking about the stupidest of things." She says and Morgan hums, but still has a cocked brow. "Come on, don't look at me like that." She says and Morgan laughs as JJ joins them. </p><p>"You good, we heard choking?" She questions, and Amber nods her head, as she pushes her nude painted lips into a thin line, before her hand went to touch the necklace — when she realised she didn't have it on. </p><p>"Shit." She murmurs, JJ and Morgan's head snapped up with worry.</p><p>"What. Did I spill something on you, are you okay?" She questioned, in a hurry and Amber shook her head. </p><p>"I think I left a really special necklace at home. I normally can't have it off — I guess, I took it off before I went home, I think." She says, feeling her heart race. </p><p>"Look," Morgan states, putting his hands on her shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, once we get back to DC, I will help you find that necklace." He says, and she smiles lightly at him before wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. seventeen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Neighbours say they have been trying to sell that house for a year." Rossi says as Amber and Morgan join him beside the crime scene tape where he had just been talking to one of the Lewises neighbours. </p><p>"Apparently Matt Lewis was laid off and they were upside down on their mortgage." Rossi says, looking at Amber and Morgan. </p><p>"Explains how they couldn't keep up the bills for their alarms, how could they when there was next to no money coming into the household." Amber states from beside Morgan, chewing on her lower lip. </p><p>"Nothing about that house, says robbery." Morgan speaks up for the first time, from beside Amber. "A beat up, 8 year old minivan in the driveway. There's nothing fancy inside either," Morgan says and Amber hums in agreement. </p><p>"There would be nothing valuable to sell in there to get cash from. You'd maybe only get 20 dollars for some of the stuff in there." Amber speaks, moving to stand in front of Rossi so the sun didn't get in her eyes anymore. </p><p>"Violent hardcore robbers, don't do random either." Rossi says, as Amber pulls down her sunglasses, yet they still didn't help as she started to get a migraine — she didn't know where it was coming from, so she decided to ignore the shooting pain. </p><p>"So, why these homes?" Rossi questions as he moves around Morgan. "Look at these people, they're terrified." Rossi comments and Amber, snorts feeling bad for the neighbours and anyone that was out and about — they had every right to be scared until they caught this man. </p><p>"Do you really blame them, Rossi? A whole family was murdered. Two, actually." Amber says from the middle of the two senior agents — ones that she has looked up too since she had joined the BAU. </p><p>"Well, half of them are moving. The other half are joining neighbourhood watch." Rossi comments, and Amber rolls her eyes from underneath her sunglasses before looking at the yellow tape that was an all to familiar sight to her by now.</p><p>"This whole community is going to be on edge until we catch these guys." Morgan says, as Amber ducks underneath the tape once again — and heads up to the door of the Lewises house, looking back at the two agents and waiting.</p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>"Mackenzie Lewis was the fourth and final victim." Reid says, coming down the stairs as Amber looks at the photos surrounding the place, picturing the happy family days before this homicide had happened. </p><p>She couldn't imagine what she would do if something like this had happened to Ola and India. "She made the 911 call from under her bed." Reid says and Amber sighs.</p><p>"Probably right before the UnSub's found her and killed her. Poor girl, she must've been so scared." Amber says, picking up a drawing that looked like maybe Mackenzie had drawn. Amber felt a rush of emotions before putting it back onto the table top. </p><p>"The M.E didn't see any signs of struggle, so he obvious dealt with her quite quickly." Reid says, and Amber takes a huge deep breath in. "Ballistics confirmed that the rest of the Lewis family was shot with the exact same .357." Reid says, all in one breath. </p><p>"Take a breather, Reid. Before you decide to say something else." Amber says, before leaning down to look at the blood on the walls. "Where was the father killed?" She asks, knowing he must've been the one to come and check the noise out. </p><p>"Right here." Rossi says, standing where his body would've been in the M.E hadn't taken the body. Amber looked around and shook her head, from her experience with finding blood in her room. She knew this had to be too much blood for one person to put out while still alive.</p><p>"There's too much blood," Amber says, looking up at them.</p><p>"How do you know?" Reid asks, and she points to the wall. </p><p>"Look at this, this doesn't look like normal blood spatter. This actually looks like it was painted on — after everyone was dead," She says, pointing to the strange looking blood lines down the wall. "There has to be only one UnSub, they wouldn't do this if a gang was involved." Amber says, pushing herself up. </p><p>"The second and third victims were were Trisha Lewis and six month old Blake. The injury patterns suggest that Mrs Lewis tried to shield the baby away with her own body." Emily says, and that just confirms that Rossi was right. The father was first, and if Amber was right — and she thinks she was. </p><p>There was way too much blood for just the father to produce and it must've been a second person killed here, or someone painted it on. "Where was Ronald Underwood found?" Amber questions, and Rossi points over too the front door area. </p><p>She shook her head, "if he was killed here. I would understand the amount of blood in this area but there's just too much — in this one area." She says. Morgan was confused, she never said she was a blood pattern expert but maybe she wasn't and maybe she just knew how much blood came out of the body and knew this didn't look right. </p><p>But there was something Amber wasn't telling them, and it wasn't adding up.</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. eighteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amber and Morgan were walking back towards their SUV when the night had fallen, the full moon, hit off of a small white note, tucked underneath the window wipers and Morgan looked at her confused before picking it up and opening it. </p><p>"You're not as smart as you think you are," He mutters', and Amber looks up at him shocked. Those words, eliciting a memory she never wanted to remember again and her hand hooked itself onto her gun in her holster as her eyes darted around. </p><p>"Amber, what's going on?" He asks, as her eyes focus on a dark piece of area — there was no light there, but yet she was managed to make out a silhouette of someone — she watched as he left the area and turned to face Morgan.</p><p>"Nothing, let's go — I'm exhausted." Amber mumbles, getting into the car — Morgan glanced once more to where she was looking, and shakes his head before getting into the drivers side and pulls away from the precinct — knowing he would have to talk to Hotch tomorrow.</p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>"Hey," Morgan says, pushing on Amber's side — Amber's eyes fluttered open before she turned around to face the said male. </p><p>"What's up?" She says, her voice rasping with sleep and exhaustion.</p><p>"Hotch says that me and JJ have to check out a new crime scene — you however are to stay in bed," He commands and she goes to open her mouth to say something when he looks at her. "Amber, everyone has noticed how tired you look — stay, sleep." He says, lightly pushing a brown hair away from her face and she sighs before nodding. </p><p>"Morgan. Thank you." She whispers, and he nods before leaving the room — once he had left, she opened her laptop and used her camera to FaceTime Axel, knowing he would like to know about this. </p><p>His face popped up on the screen after five rings, he looked exhausted and there was only a small lamp on beside him. Declan was still asleep on his side, "Amber — what the hell, is going on?" He questioned, softly — noticing the worried expression on her face.</p><p>"He knows where I am, Axel. He put a letter on the window shield just before me and Morgan got to the hotel." She says, her voice soft but yet fearful. "He's getting more bold — he's starting to reach out to more people." </p><p>"Baby, listen to me. He won't hurt you, I promised that too you years ago." He says, calling her by one of her pet names. Declan didn't mind him calling her 'baby', he never had — it was always a nickname for her even long before they had met each other. </p><p>"Ax, who's on earth are you talking to at four in the morning?" Declan questioned, rolling over and Axel looked at him.</p><p>"Amber." He said, shortly and Declan was straight up — seeing the concerned look on his best friends face.</p><p>"What happened?" He questioned and she quickly explained to him — in a short breath on what had happened, and how scared she was that he was going to bring her team into this mess she had gotten herself into. </p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>"We believe we are looking for a white male, in his late 20s to early 30s," Hotch says, as Amber leans against the wall, scanning the room — when a police officer spoke up, Amber could tell this wasn't going to be a very good question.</p><p>"Wait. Wait. Wait. I'm sorry, I thought we were looking for black gang bangers." The officer says, and Amber's eyes flitted over to Morgan who also was leaning against the wall — he didn't even seem to mind as he leaned against the pillar. </p><p>"The UnSub has been staging the crime scenes to make it look like black gangs and undocumented immigrants were responsible." Morgan spoke up, and Amber's lips tugged up into a smile — knowing he had no problem with any of these questions, she was proud. </p><p>"Why would anyone do that?" The same officer asks and Amber looks up from picking her fingers. </p><p>"Many reasons, but we think he may be trying to stir up some racial conflict." Amber says, as Reid opens his mouth to continue on where she had left off. </p><p>"In 1969, Charles Manson orchestrated the Tate-LaBianca murders in the hopes of creating a race war between the blacks and whites, that he referred to as 'Helter Skelter'" Spencer says, emphasising his words with his hands. </p><p>"A name he stole from a beetle song." Rossi says, and Amber rolls her eyes — remembering the name very well, since it was one of her favourite songs when she was in her teenage years — now she can't stand it because it was on the night she overdosed. </p><p>"Members of the Manson family left watermelon rinds, at the scene of the crime and also painted panther paws on the wall in hopes to convince authorities that the Black Panther party was responsible." Reid says from near Hotch. </p><p>"Hate groups like the Aryan nation believe that race war is not only inevitable, but necessary." Hotch says and Amber speaks up. </p><p>"They think these wars are necessary to clean their states, or even countries of black people or immigrants." Amber speaks, sadly before her eyes once again flickered over too Morgan and gave him a tight lipped smile. </p><p>"Our UnSub may be part of one of these groups. Aryan gangs have a strong presence in prisons, so he may be an ex con or even possibly related to a convict." Prentiss explains, her brown hair flowing over her shoulders.</p><p>"We think he also might be some kind of zealot, he believes his war is already being fought." Rossi says, as Hotch glances at Amber to gage if she got any more sleep last night — than from the nights prior to the case.</p><p>Amber felt eyes peering, and her own flickered up as she looked at Hotch with a cock brow. "And these murders, are a mission to him." Rossi continued on, finishing his sentence as Amber laces her fingers together in front of her. </p><p>"And like a solider, he is willing to put himself in harms way." JJ continues on, her eyes focusing on all of the officers around the room.</p><p>"The UnSub also may be vulnerable in some way, weak minded or lonely." Reid says, his voice soft and filled with sadness — and Amber knew that was because he felt that sometimes and so did she. "His cause gives him some kind of power and belonging." </p><p>"He's physically fit enough to move around dead bodies, so he's probably young." Morgan says. </p><p>"And yet not too young that it makes him impulsive or immature." Amber says, pushing herself off of the wall and walking towards JJ — making a full stop when she was beside the blonde haired women. </p><p>"He uses oxycodone to drug his unwilling partners," Reid explains the findings of the drugs in each of the other men that weren't family in the families houses. "But he does so without killing them, which means he's knowledgeable about dosages." Reid says. </p><p>"And oxy is expensive, so look at medical care professionals, or caregivers anyone with access to prescription drugs." Emily says, as JJ links her arm with Amber as the brunette looks out onto the sea of officers nodding at the profile. </p><p>"This UnSub is determined and driven. It makes him especially dangerous." Hotch says from the front, as Amber focuses on the back of his head before looking back up — ignoring the curious glance she got from Rossi. </p><p>"Meaning surrender is probably not part of his plan, he will not back down — meaning if you find him, it might end up in suicide by cop." Amber says, and Hotch looks back at her but not catching her eye — making Rossi even more confused but the older agent didn't say anything.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. nineteen</h2></a>
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    <p>Clark Preston, was a really annoying man in Amber Coulson's eyes — she had only met the man and she could already tell he was going to be a pain in their arse. "I can't tell you how happy I am  you're here gentleman, lady." Clark says, eyeing up Amber and she crosses her arms over her chest and glares at the elective running for chair. </p><p>"Maybe now someone will stop these savages," He says, and Amber has to grit her teeth together. Morgan was the first to notice her temper rising, so he put his hand out and pulled her so she was standing beside him instead of to the side of Preston. </p><p>"What can I do to help?" He questions. </p><p>"We were hoping to talk to you about some of your rhetoric." Hotch explains, and Amber watches as Preston's face fell — a silly, yet happy smirk tugged on Amber's face as she watched this. </p><p>"My rhetoric?" He questions, and Morgan speaks up from beside him.</p><p>"We believe the recent crimes have been hate crimes. Some of the things you say, well, they may be constructed as inflammatory." Morgan says, and Amber looks up at him as he puts his hand on her arm to calm her down. </p><p>Amber had always hated racism, it was something Morgan knew about and he cared deeply for her opinion since he basically told her everything. "Agent Morgan's referring to some of your recent campaign speeches and the references to the murders." Hotch says.</p><p>"It may be possible that the UnSub that we are dealing with here — is impressionable," She says, and he looks at her confused, she sighs in annoyance. "loosing certain traits that the may of once had, because of media or things to show un-empathetic towards the immigrants and different racial colours." Amber explained. </p><p>"You think I'm responsible?" He questions, and Amber rolled her eyes — she was right, he was a royal pain in their arses — but if they wanted to get to the bottom of this, they had to talk to him in a professional manner and not kicking his ass. </p><p>"Nobody said that." Morgan defended Amber and Hotch, and Amber could tell he was about to say something stupid that would set her off.</p><p>"If this person is motivated by racist sentiments, then what you are saying publicly may be affecting him." Hotch says, diverting his attention off of Morgan and Amber — and the brunette girl has to praise him for that.</p><p>"You're profilers right?" He questioned, and this confused the three of them.</p><p>"Right." Hotch says, hesitantly. </p><p>"You study behaviour, not actual facts. Then come up with theories." He says, and Amber blows out a puff of air in annoyance.</p><p>"Not quite as simple as that." Amber says, from beside him. </p><p>"I'll bet you had to work extra hard to get in the Bureau, didn't you?" He questioned Morgan, and that's when Amber snapped. </p><p>"Are you serious? Morgan is one of our best agents." She snaps, and Morgan puts his hand on her shoulder. </p><p>"Protective?" He questions, and she glares darkly at him. </p><p>"Agent Coulson is very protective over us, hates when people disrespects us — and also is our expert in compulsive behaviour, and some blood spatter." Hotch defends the youngest agent off their team as Morgan rubs her shoulder. </p><p>"I'll cut back on my media appearances, for now." Preston says as he stands up, walking past Amber as Morgan held her back — but that didn't stop her from glowering at him. "But I suggest you start proving some of those theories of yours. You three enjoy your day." He says before leaving and Amber sighs, when he's gone.</p><p>"Amber." Hotch warned, and she turned to look at him.</p><p>"Don't Amber me, you know how protective I get. It's bullshit, I don't agree with it." She says, before storming out and headed for the bathroom. Not before hearing a small mutter from Morgan saying he'll go after her. </p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>Morgan was leaning against the wall when Amber exited the bathroom, "Hey." He says, gently wrapping his fingers around her arm — and she sighs, a bitter frown was on her face as he pulls her back to look at him. </p><p>"You don't have to protect me, I'm a big boy — I can stand up for myself." He says, and she smiles gently at him. He cups her cheek in his hands before pressing a soft kiss against her forehead. "Okay, I'm okay." He whispers and she nods.</p><p>"Okay, I'll calm down on protective mother bear side." She teases and he lets out a laugh as he wraps an arm around her shoulder. </p><p>"So, whats with the looks going on between you and Hotch?" He teases her now and she looks up at him embarrassed. </p><p>"What, there's no looks going on between me and Hotch." She defends, and Morgan cocks a brow at her before shaking his head with a small smirk on his face — "Morgan, there is nothing going on." She says, as she slaps his arm playfully. </p><p>"Okay, whatever you say." He says before walking away — still smirking to himself as she let out a bitter laugh, and follows close on his heels — deciding not to argue cause it would do nothing for her.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. twenty</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amber was sitting on the bed in her shared hotel room, reading over a book when her phone went off. Hotch, it said - he had sent her back to the hotel after the confrontation with Preston about his rhetoric.</p><p>"Hello?" She questions, as she puts her phone against her ear.</p><p>"I'm sending you an address, you need to get down there and back Morgan, Prentiss and JJ up." He says, before ending the call and she mutters a sarcastic reply before heading straight for her SUV. It had been half an hour since she left the hotel and she finally arrived at Hillary's house.</p><p>"You sure you want to split up?" Amber hears Prentiss ask, as she walks up to the three members of her team.</p><p>"We need to have everything covered incase he runs." Morgan explains. "Let's go." He says, and Amber follows behind Morgan — backing him up from the back door.</p><p>"You've been hit!" JJ shouted, as Morgan kicked the door open. Amber spotted Emily on the floor and rushed to her side — Amber nodded at her, telling JJ to go with Morgan and she would stay with Prentiss.</p><p>"Are you alright?" Amber asks softly, and Prentiss nods before Amber held her hand out to help her up. Prentiss grabs it with her good hand, and pulls herself up and falls into Amber's side. "You need to get this checked out, or it's going to get infected." She says and Emily nods in agreement.</p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>Amber set down two coffee's in front of Prentiss and Morgan, Emily looked up at her and nodded and Amber smiled before going to get her own coffee. Rossi came up beside her as she was pouring it.</p><p>"How you feeling? Three weeks off and just thrown back into a case." He says, and she looks over at him with a small smile on her face.</p><p>"It would've probably had the same outcome if I had come back week or two weeks later." She mocks and Rossi lets out a small chuckle.</p><p>"Tell me if I'm over stepping my boundaries, but you never talk about your family or friends." He says, and Amber takes a deep breath in before looking down at her feet. "I'm sorry. It's to person." He was about to say but Amber caught him by the arm.</p><p>"Rossi." She breathed out, a small chuckle erupting from her lips. "It's alright. I'm just not keen on sharing my past but I can tell you if you really want to know." She says and Rossi puts his hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"When I was sixteen, I was exactly what you call a good kid. I was every parents nightmare." She says, chuckling lightly — before wrapping her hand around her cup. "I had nothing going for me, I was set on the track of failure of my exams until I met her. Her name was Amanda Thornton and she was too good for me."</p><p>"Amber, if you don't want to talk about this we don't have too." He says and she looks up at him through tear filled eyes.</p><p>"I need too, this weight has been pushing me down for years. Amanda did everything right, she was a perfect child, perfect student, set to be the next genius of our town. Then one night changed everything." Amber says, sucking her bottom lip in. "Amanda's parents, always compared her too her older brother — so I promised her, that I would run away the next day." She says.</p><p>"Then when I woke up, there was blood all over my room and Amanda was nowhere to be seen. She was pronounced dead at the scene — even though there was no body, I was the prime suspect for years — thanks to what everyone perceived as a childhood maniac. Then two months ago, they found Amanda's body. In a dug up, farm land — visited locally by drug cartel members." Amber says, a tear rolling down her cheek.</p><p>"Amber. I didn't know." He says, and Amber let's out a shaky breath — before looking up at him after looking down for a good few minutes.</p><p>"No one does Rossi, there is only three people that know that now includes you — making it four." She says, "You, Strauss and two other agents — and two of my best friends." She says, as her hand shakes before she puts her coffee down.</p><p>"There's more to the story, but I can't tell you in fear of it making my reputation looking bad — trust me, sometimes the past is better kept hidden. So please Rossi, don't go looking into it." She says before grabbing her coffee and made her way through the jet to get to a private seat.</p><p>Once there she sat down and curled her feet underneath her — knowing she was going to have to talk to Strauss and Axel about another person now knowing some of the story.</p><p>And that off the fact of the note on the window-shield of the SUV she was sharing with Morgan at the time.</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. twenty one</h2></a>
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    <p>Amber and Morgan shuffled their way through the apartment, it was then that Amber noticed how untidy everything was in her apartment  — normally, everything was in a certain area but the place was a mess.</p><p>"Is you apartment, normally this — messy?" Morgan questioned, and Amber shook her head — perplexed, what the hell had happened when she was away? She thought, gnawing on her bottom lip before the necklace popped up in her memory and she sprinted to her bedroom and look for it in it's normal place. </p><p>She cried out when she couldn't find it, "Amber!" Morgan shouted, coming through into her room — only to see her falling to the floor, "Hey, baby. It's alright, I've got you — shh, come on tell me what happened?" He questioned.</p><p>"I can't find it. Morgan! If I don't have it, I normally screw everything up — Morgan, I can't live without that necklace." She whispered, and he pulled her into his body before looking around the room. </p><p>He didn't know what he could possibly do to help her — in anyway, shape or form. "Call Axel," She muttered, once she had totally calmed down. "Trust me, Derek. Call him." She whispers, and he nods before heading to find her mobile that would have his number.</p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>Axel Todd and Declan Hall were a strong combination, to Derek — these two were a good couple, and worked more with one another than he had seen in a relationship before. "Hey, look at me." Axel whispers as he stands with Amber.</p><p>"How could you not tell me that!" She snapped, angrily pushing his hands away from her. "Goddammit, Axel! You knew how important that goddamn necklace was to me!" She snapped, and a dresser drawer hit the floor.</p><p>"Hey! Easy, he was trying to protect you." Declan says, coming to a halt beside his boyfriend and Amber looked up at him through teary eyes — Amber let out a bitter laugh before tightly smiling at Axel.</p><p>"It's alright. I just — wished you had told me sooner." She muttered, wrapping her arms around Axel's neck and pulling him into a tight hug — as Declan walked back over to Morgan, who looked shocked at her outburst. </p><p>"Is she, alright?" He questions, and Declan sighs before nodding.</p><p>"Amber has a very sad backstory, and that necklace — meant a lot to her," Declan explains. "It was the only was she kept her temper, and as you can see — her loosing her temper isn't really good." He explains.</p><p>"Look, Amber has to go back to her home town — we're going to go with her but can you tell your team leader that she's needing some time off?" He questions, and Morgan nods before looking over his shoulder.</p><p>"Can I say goodbye?" He asks, and Declan nods as Axel walks over to the two agents — one that was in her team, the other — undercover, not like Amber knew that of course.</p><p>"She's all yours." Axel says, giving Morgan a tight lipped smile before the two walked out of the apartment together. </p><p>"Hey." Morgan says, walking up to her and putting his hand on her shoulder and she smiles light heartily at him. "Don't worry about Hotch, I'll tell him — just promise me something." He says and Amber looks up at him with a cocked brow.</p><p>"Be safe." He says and she lets out a small chuckle as she slips her hand into his.</p><p>"Derek. I'm still going to be an agent — there is just a case I have to consult to in my hometown." She says, and he nods before pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her forehead. "I'm going to miss you guys." She whispers.</p><p>"We'll miss you too." He whispers back.</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. twenty two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Axel and Declan had suits on as they sat in the fighting arena's VIP seats. They were only here for one reason, finding out the truth - Amber was in the fighting ring, fighting for her friends — and family. </p><p>Axel had his finger pressed against his lips as his eyes roamed over the fighting arena, when Amber's side of the comm rattled to life. "Axel, Declan — you got anything?" She murmured, when Axel spotting someone watching the two agents.</p><p>"Got something, A tall male — maybe in his mid 20's to early 30's. Looks like he may be part of Micheal's gang." Axel muttered slowly, as to not draw attention to himself. Amber looked up from her position from the fighting ring.</p><p>"Abort, it. Do not engage, Axel. I mean it, do not engage." She says, running her fingers through her blonde hair before knocking the guy out cold. She jumped over the railings — Axel and Declan noticed her quick departure and they both stood up — ready to follow after her.</p><p>"What the hell, who was it?" He questioned as the two of them caught up with Amber — she looked over at him, as she leaned against the wall — cursing herself out. "Amber," Declan says, her name was in a warning tone.</p><p>"It was Spencer, alright. I didn't want him to get hurt." Amber says, running her fingers through her matted hair. Declan looked at her surprised, before looking at Axel — the older agent cursed under his breath. </p><p>"Axel, how the hell did he get here?" Amber questioned, worried that because if Spence was here it meant the whole team was here. Axel noticed her biting her lip and he sighed.</p><p>"Amber. If there all here, we will help you protect them." He says, putting his hand on her shoulder — but she shrugged it off, and he couldn't help but let a hurt look pass his eyes. </p><p>"I'm sorry, I'm just — worried, I guess." She mumbled, and he sighed before pulling her into a tight hug. </p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>Amber walked into the Coulson household, and everything was silent. Amber's eyebrows furrowed, and bit on her lower lip ― there was something wrong with this scenario and Amber couldn't quite put her finger on it. </p><p>"Amber!" India shouted throwing herself into her second oldest sisters arms. Amber's eyes widened, and she stumbled back and breathed a little ― smelling the alcohol off of her breath. "W-Where have you been?" She slurred, and Amber pinched the bridge of her nose.</p><p>"India. How drunk are you?" Amber questioned, surprised that she was even this drunk ― which was totally unlike Ola to let India drink ― "And where is Ola?" She questions, and India's face turned from happiness to sourness.</p><p>"She's out fucking Eric," She muttered sarcastically and Amber flinched. She had never known India to be so vulgar, but then again ― she hadn't lived here in almost 9 years since she was sixteen.</p><p>"Okay, India. Go to bed, and let this drink overcome you ― I'm going to call Ola." She says, and just as India was about to complain ― Amber put her face into stern and looked at her. "now." She snapped.</p><p>India grumbled before storming up the stairs, and slips into her bedroom on the second floor ― as Amber rubbed her head in annoyance. She pulled her phone from her back pocket, and dialled Ola's number.</p><p>"And where are you?" She questioned, as soon as the phone had stopped ringing and Ola had answered the phone. </p><p>"I had to get out of that house, India was being a royal pain in my ass." She mutters, and Amber snorted ― agreeing with her on that. </p><p>"Where's Eric? Is he with you." She questions, and Ola shakes her head from her side of the phone before realising Amber couldn't see her.</p><p>"He's not with me, he's somewhere in the house." Ola says, and Amber looks around before a shot rung out through the house. "Amber? Was that a gunshot?" She questions before Amber puts her phone to the side and grabs her gun and heads upstairs from where the noise came from.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. twenty three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blue light and red lights, sirens blaring and EMT's rushing around Amber's house was an uncommon sight since her overdose. She hadn't been near them this close and personal since then, but since Eric had gotten shot in their house ― she needed to call the ambulance and cops. </p><p>"Amber." Detective Black says from behind her, and she closed her eyes tightly ― knowing this was going to be along night. "What happened?" He questioned, seriously as the brunette turned to face him with a straight, but yet pained face. </p><p>"Eric was shot upstairs, while I was talking to Ola." She breathed out, as a few technicians entered the Coulson house. "Look, I know this is their job ― but make sure they don't go through confidential stuff that is to do with FBI shit." Amber says and Black nods before grabbing her arm as she goes to walk out. </p><p>"I know this doesn't make our past any better, but I'm really sorry." He says, and Amber looks at him shocked and surprised that he even apologised for that. </p><p>"It was along time ago, Black. I've gotten over it ― so should you," Amber says, before walking outside to call Ola. When her car pulled into the driveway and rushed out. She watched as her sister, looked around frantically before her eyes landed on Amber. </p><p>"What happened?!" She screeched as she met her sister in the middle, and Amber put her hands on Ola's shoulders in hopes to calm her down ― but it didn't work. Amber sighed, as Ola pushed her hands away. "Where's Eric?" She asks, finally calming herself down.</p><p>"He was shot. India's fine." She says, worried for her sisters reaction ― but what she did surprised her, because it was something Ola didn't do very often ― she broke down in tears. "Shh, the EMT's think he has a good chance of surviving if they get him to surgery now." She says.</p><p>"I'm going to travel with him in the ambulance. Can you grab India, and drive yourselves towards there as well?" She questions and Amber nods before pulling Ola into a tight hug. "I love you, Amber." She whispers and a smile tugs at Ambers lips. </p><p>"I love you too, Ola." Amber says, pulling back ― and walking towards the entrance to their house, Ola looked at her back ― feeling extremely guilty for what she was about to do but she had too, to save her. </p><p>"She's all yours." She says, once she had phoned the number ― a single tear rolled down her face, knowing that she had just signed Amber's death wish.</p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>Amber and India were singing in the car, bright smiles on their faces as they travelled the old, familiar roads towards the hospital. "Amber - there is something you need to know." India says, and Amber looks over at her and turns the volume down.</p><p>"What's up?" She questions happily, she never knew what was coming next. </p><p>"Ola isn't the same anymore, not since Taylor died." She says, and Amber takes a deep breath in. Taylor Simone, their best friend and older sister. Amber looks at her with a cocked brow. "Amber, she's working with Derek." She says, and Amber's foot hits the break pedal at a fast pace. </p><p>"She's what?!" Amber screeched and India covered her ears ― she knew this was how Amber was going to take it, but she didn't expect her to literally shout. "Jesus Christ Ola!" She snapped, hitting her fist off of the steering wheel.</p><p>"She's doing it too protect Aliana." India says, and Amber looks over at her with confused eyes. "He threatened her, Am. He fucking threatened our niece." She says, and Amber was seething. </p><p>"What does he want?" Amber asks, and India gnaws on her bottom lip ― debating on whether or not she should tell her older sister, exactly what Derek wants or to make up a white lie ― she chose the latter. </p><p>"He wants to have money, he thinks we have enough to pay him." She lies, easily but Amber saw right through it and gave her a look that basically said ― stop fucking lying to me. India's resolve fell and a singular tear rolled down her cheek. </p><p>"He wants you, and your head on a platter. If not, he said he would kill Aliana, and we would never find her just like we didn't find Amanda for years, and no sign of Taylor," She whines, and Amber's eyes widened ― she knew that Derek had hated her, but the extremes he was willing to go to make sure she was dead ― was unreal. </p><p>And it was all because she had exposed the large drug operation going on at the docks in Greenport. </p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>Amber walked into the hospital with a angered look on her face, and when she saw Ola ― the built up feelings intensified. Why wouldn't she tell me? Amber thought, annoyed at the situation her sisters had gotten themselves into but she couldn't blame them.</p><p>For Aliana, she would do anything ― even if it meant getting herself killed, but first she needed to find out why Ola had lied to her in the first place, when she said she hadn't had any contact with Derek or Michael during the years of Amber's own disappearance. </p><p>"How's he doing?" Amber asks, startling Ola ― she quickly regains her composure before turning to face her younger sister. </p><p>"Doctor's says he's probably getting out of surgery soon." Ola says, and Amber nods silently. "Is Aliana with you?" Ola questions, as they wait in the waiting room and Amber looks over at her with a smug grin.</p><p>"I thought she be with you, after all you are trying to keep her from getting killed by Derek." Amber accused, and Ola's eyes widened and the one sentence that went through her head at the exact same time as Amber smirked ― how the hell did she find out?</p><p>"You're forgetting I'm a profiler, and that I know when India is lying to me ― why didn't you tell me?" She questions, sharply and Ola looks down at the floor guiltily.</p><p>"You're the reason we're in this mess in the first place! I'm trying to do what's right." She snapped, as India entered the room.</p><p>"By handing our sister over to get slaughtered!" India snapped. "She was doing what was right, god! Ola, they could've killed our sister!" India snapped, and Amber crossed her arms over her chest. </p><p>"Remember, I saved Eric ― I could've easily let him die, and guess who it was that shot him?" Amber says, walking forward and closer too Ola's face. "You're friend and ally Derek. So sister, if you were more careful you would know the game you are playing is extremely dangerous." Amber says before walking out of the room and leans against the wall. </p><p>Her hand was then clasped in another's and she turned to see Axel there, "India called me. Said you might need support." He says, and she leans on his shoulder and just cries ― saddened by the fact her own sister had put her up for being killed.</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. twenty four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amber was sitting outside on the curb, doing something she hadn't done in a long while. Amber had a cigarette between her fingers, when she felt the eery feeling she was being watched and her hand instantly went for her gun that was strapped on her hip. </p><p>She quickly turned around and pressed the gun against the forehead, of the one person she had once loved. "Micheal?" She questions, and a sad smile graced his lips ― as he pushed the gun down that his first love was holding against his head.</p><p>"Hey Am." He said, and she slipped her gun back into her holster as she slapped him hard in the chest. He knew what that was for, and it was for sneaking up on her.</p><p>"I almost killed you, Jesus Christ!" She snapped, angrily ― and he knew that the news had gotten back to her that his brother wanted to kill her and was using her own family to get to her. Micheal noticed the snarl that was placed on her lips.</p><p>"I'm no part of my brothers actions." He defends, and she rolls her eyes as she turns back around and carries on smoking ― until it was plucked from her fingers and thrown onto the road, cars driving over it. "I became an FBI informant just after you ratted." He says, and Amber's eyes widened. </p><p>"What?" Her breath was shallow as she looked at Micheal. "You turned on Derek?" She questioned, and Micheal nodded silently. He was now pulling his cigarettes from his pocket, but Amber grabbed them and threw them away. </p><p>"I got a job, I went to rehab ― I grew up, matured ― and Derek hated that. He drew that on experience he had to get rid of you, to get me back into the world, so he's blackmailing Ola with the murder of your sister, and threatening to kill her daughter ― your niece." He says and Amber looks at him. </p><p>"I'm so sorry, Micheal. If I knew, I would've stayed behind and tried to make this more easier for you." She says, and Micheal looks at her as a singular tear rolled down her cheek. "God, even I'd hate me for what I did." She says, and Micheal grabs her arm ― wiping away the singular tear.</p><p>"Amber, you are my first love, my first everything ― I could never hate you." He says, "I will always be here for you, in many ways your other loves can't be ― but your always going to be my number one." He says.</p><p>"Friends again?" Amber whispered meekly, as Micheal laughed and pulled her into his arms ― that were still covered in tattoos, and he pressed a kiss against her cheek. </p><p>"Best friends." He muttered, silently. </p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>Micheal and Amber were catching up when Axel walked through the hallways to see this. "What the hell? When did you become friends again with Micheal?" Axel asks, wrapping his arm around her shoulder protectively. </p><p>"Axel. It's fine. He went FBI informant not that long after I left." Amber says, as Micheal looks between the two with calculated eyes ― and Amber knew exactly what he was going to ask, "he's gay." Amber confirms towards Micheal.</p><p>"Ah. I'm Micheal." He says, holding his hand out for Axel to shake ― Axel looked down at Amber, and she nodded her head towards his hand. Axel sighed before shaking his hand, with a tight smile on his face.</p><p>"Axel Todd, her step brothers fianceè." He says, and Amber looks up at him shocked.</p><p>"Oh my god!" She screeched, "Axel, that's amazing news! Congrats." Amber says, jumping into his arms and a laugh erupted from his lips.</p><p>"Congrats." Micheal says, and Axel nods at him ― and although he didn't want Amber to see, he could see that he might actually become good friends with Micheal. Amber smiled, seeing the small smile exchange, but didn't say anything about it. </p><p>"Miss Coulson?" A doctor asks, and both males move out of the way to see the same doctor that had performed the surgery on Eric standing there ― her eyes widening when she was the gun on his side, and Axel had noticed it too. </p><p>"Gun!" Axel shouted, and everyone ducked as he brought it out and shot a bullet at Amber. Micheal covered her body with his and Axel nodded appreciatively at him before running after the doctor or "pretend" doctor. </p><p>Micheal looked at Amber, who was pushing her hand against a non contact bullet wound. The bullet had went straight through, and she needed bandages. "Micheal, ask if you can get some bandages at the front desk." Amber says through gritted teeth before nodding and walking away. </p><p>"Amber?" A voice asks, and Amber curses ― this was crap timing, her head turned to the side as she spotted Spencer Reid standing there, looking shocked as she held her hand over her wound as blood soaked around her fingers. </p><p>"Hey Spence." She whispers, and he was right by her side ― pushing presser against her arm when Micheal came back with bandages. Amber held her hand out for it and then Spencer grabbed it, and started too wrap her arm up.</p><p>"Why were you at the fighting ring a few days ago?" Spencer asks, and Micheal looks at her shocked.</p><p>"You went back there?" He asks shocked, and Spencer looks at her with wide eyes. </p><p>"Spencer meet my ex Micheal, Micheal meet my colleague. I was looking into something, you know I wouldn't go back there without a reason. Now Spence," She says, turning to look at him dead in the eyes. "what the hell are you doing here?" She questions, and he looked genuinely shocked that she had asked that question.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. twenty five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Am," Spencer says, as Amber glares at him with tight eyes and he sighs. "We were invited here by Detective Black, three bodies in two weeks." Spencer says, and Amber's eyes widened. "We tried calling you, but it went straight to voicemail." He says and Amber lets out a small, strained chuckle.</p><p>"I've got two phones, one that you guys don't know about." Amber says, and he cocks a brow. "Safety precautions." Amber says, running her fingers through her hair before looking at Micheal and she pursed her lips. </p><p>"Has Derek tried to get in contact with you recently?" She questions, and Spencer looks confused and she shook her head ― "Not our Derek, his brother. Total asshole." She explains and Micheal lets out a booming laugh. </p><p>"Nah, Derek knows better than to contact me. Now." He says, before Spencer's phone went off, he turned his back on the both of them and Micheal looked at Amber before she shrugged and leaned onto Spence's shoulder to hear some of the conversation but not all of it. </p><p>"What is it?" Amber asks, and Spencer looks at her worriedly. "Spencer, don't give me those eyes and spit it out." She says and Spencer sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. </p><p>"They found a body," He says and Amber tenses up, "Somewhere called the docks." He mutters, and he watches as Amber freezes up even more. "You know where it is?" He questions, and Amber nods along with Micheal. </p><p>"We both do, we can take you ― but I would like to see this body." Amber says, and Spencer nods as she grabs the SUV keys off of Spencer and heads to find India to give her the car keys for her car. </p><p>"India, police just found another body ― I want you to take my car home, and for a love of god, please do not damage it." Amber whines and she mock salutes, as Amber shakes her head as she walks out ― getting ready for the abundance of questions she was going to get from her team. </p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>Amber didn't like being back on the docks, it brought back too many bad memories ― it's why she had her gun pressed against her abdomen as she walks forward silently until they heard talking. </p><p>"Well, it's definitely like the other victims." She heard Rossi say, and Amber sighs in relief before slipping her gun into her hip holster. </p><p>"How long till Reid gets here?" Morgan asks, as Reid slips under the tape and Amber follows before leaning over to talk to Micheal. </p><p>"Just stay here, alright ― we shouldn't be that long." She says, before walking over to the rest of her team, Spencer looked up as he inspected the body. Everybody had yet to notice her because they were all talking to someone. </p><p>"Anything new, that weren't there before?" Amber asks, leaning down beside Spencer as he pulls up her top, a big carved 'A' was on her stomach and a shiver went up her spine as Amber tried to find her identification. </p><p>Valentina Rogers. She knew that name, she went to school with this girl when she was fifteen. "Hey Hotch!" Spencer shouts, and the rest of the team turned around ― spotting another women on the floor and that's when they realise who it was. </p><p>"Ask them later," Amber brushes off their confused looks as Spencer pulls back the top.</p><p>"That's new." Rossi says, "Seems like the killer has finally started to go for his endgame ― now we just need to find out who that is." Rossi says, and Amber sighs ― Rossi looks up at her, and Amber shook her head ― trying to clear her head. </p><p>The memories had come back to her, from the last time she had been here ― and the last time she had been at a crime scene like this one. "You shouldn't be here." She heard detective Black's voice from behind her and she closes her eyes in annoyance. </p><p>"And why's that?" Amber questions, tilting her head to the side as she glared at Black tightly. Black glared back at her tightly, and a smirk tugged at the edges of her lips ― Hotch watched this interaction very carefully. </p><p>"This is a crime scene," He spits out and Amber rolled her eyes, before pulling out her credentials. He watched her carefully, and smirks ― knowing she had no reason to be in this crime scene.</p><p>"FBI," She announces, and Black's eyes widened significantly alongside the rest of the older officers that had been around at the time of her trouble with her law. She smirked, seeing his wide eyes. "Now, I'm allowed to be here. You can't say otherwise." Amber says, and Black clenches his jaw. </p><p>"You alright?" JJ questioned as Amber came back to stand with the team and she nods, silently. It was surprising to the team that she knew the head detective of this case ― but JJ never said anything. </p><p>"I'm fine." Amber said, not even looking at JJ. JJ looked at Rossi with a cocked brow, there was something totally wrong with Amber ― but she wasn't talking, and that worried everyone on the team including her boss. </p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>India panted as her and Amber sent hits at one another, she had asked Amber to train her ― and her sister agreed. "If you don't want to get hit, block with your fists and arms." Amber teaches, and then it happened ― India hit her so hard that she went flying onto the floor. </p><p>"That's it." Amber says, wiping her mouth where a little bit of blood came out of her mouth. India quickly apologised and Amber shook her head as India pulled her up. "Next thing, never ― ever, apologise." Amber says before they started to fight again. </p><p>"Amber." Micheal says, and Amber looks over her shoulders. India excused herself from the conversation that was about to go down probably. </p><p>"What's up?" The blonde―brunette asks as she throws her white wraps down onto the muddy floor ― before noticing the worried look on his face. "Micheal." She says, in an warning voice ― telling him to hurry up and tell her. </p><p>"It's Derek." He says, and Amber's head snapped up.</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. twenty six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What about him, he's an asshole? Yes, we all know that-" Amber was cut off by Micheal putting his hand over her mouth. He sighed, now having quiet so he could speak. </p><p>"Derek just confessed to Valentina's murder, and the other ones that your team is investigating." He says and Amber sighs in relief ― but then she realises the other worried look on Micheal's face. </p><p>"But, he implicated another person in the murder of Amnada and Taylor ― and it wasn't him." He says, and Amber looks at him shocked, what? Who the hell could off killed her best friend and older sister?</p><p>"Micheal, who did he implicate?" She questions, and that's when there was a police knock on the door ― "Oh, my god. Fucking seriously, again!" She snapped, annoyed and he nodded silently. </p><p>"Amber. It's Black and your team." She says, and Amber gnaws on her bottom lip ― before turning to face Micheal again.</p><p>"You best get out of here, I don't want you getting in trouble for warning me." She says, and he nods before pressing his lips against her forehead. "Go." She warners, and he sprints away from the two siblings. </p><p>"Have you let them in?" Amber asks India, and the blonde nods. Amber feels her airways tighten, and I gnawed on my bottom lip ― scared on what was about to happen. </p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>Amber's heels hit off of the floor, and Black's heads turned to face her. "Amber, I've been waiting for this moment all my life." He says a smirk tugging at his lips, and Amber glared at him. </p><p>"You remember right, that I have alibi's for both of those murders." Amber says, and Black looks at her. </p><p>"Let's just hope your team to find anything that could connect you with those murders." He says, and Amber leans against the wall. The two were glaring at one another with tight looks before someone else came into the room. </p><p>"Amber?" Morgan questioned, surprised to see his best friend in this house ― but she never answered him, instead she continued on glaring at Black. "We found nothing, only Amanda's blood was present in the bedroom." Morgan says, finally.</p><p>"You know what Black! You've been on my ass for years! about this, I had no part. I have an alibi." Amber let her pent out frustration out on him. "Okay! Why the hell would I kill my best friend, and my s―" Amber cut herself off, no one knew about Taylor being her sister since she was 16 years older than her before she died. </p><p>"You're what?" Black questions, tilting his head to the side. </p><p>"My sister." She finally admits. "Explain to me, why would I kill my sister ― and I was 14 when she died, I was too young to even plan that to make sure that she was never found!" She snapped before storming out of the room ― and fell to the floor in the kitchen, sobbing. </p><p>"Amber. We know about your past, we had Garcia unseal your files." Morgan says, clutching her shoulders as he comes down to the floor beside her. "Why didn't you tell us about your oxy overdose, or your best friend, or your criminal record?" Morgan asks.</p><p>"I couldn't, Derek. I couldn't talk about it." She whispers, leaning against him and sobbed into his side. Derek sighs, before pulling her closer to him ― JJ was leaning against the wall, watching the sight and then she understood. </p><p>She couldn't talk about it ― because she physically would break down ― her brain would probably shut off, and she would probably do something stupid.</p><p>❥❥❥</p><p>Amber was sitting at her table, with the BAU sitting around her ― explaining everything from the first night her step father sexually abused her, to the night she found her best friend missing and a shit ton on blood in her bedroom. </p><p>"So you think that your step father might be responsible for Taylor and Amanda's murders?" Rossi asks, and Amber looks down at her coffee mug before nodding silently. "Do you know where he is at the moment?" He questions. </p><p>"He's dead." Amber says, looking up finally. "He died in a car crash with my mother 3 months ago―" Amber was about to say but Black came in with a solemn look, and sighed. </p><p>"Black, what is it?" Amber asks, surprised. </p><p>"We just got an anonymous tip. Your step father, Aaron ― isn't actually dead, we thought it was him, so we never DNA tested him, but it was your biological father. Corner just confirmed it." He says, and Amber looks at him teary eyed. </p><p>Axel had told her, her biological father hadn't been seen for almost three months, apparently he was on an over seas trip ― but in reality, he was with her mother? What the hell is going on? She thought. </p><p>"I need to call Declan, he should know." Amber says, and Black nods before she walks away from the team and Black. Black turned to face the team and the BAU look at him with cocked brows. </p><p>"There was something you weren't telling her." Morgan says, and Black sighs ― running his fingers through his shaggy brown hair. </p><p>"I think I know why her parents were murdered," He says and Morgan cocked a brow. "They were having an affair, again, her mum ― was pregnant. That's why they were together." He says, and JJ gasps softly. </p><p>"Oh my god. She would have another sister if she was alive." JJ says and Black nods. </p><p>"Two caliber bullets were what killed them, not the crash ― they were dead before they even got into the crash." Black says.</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. twenty seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hotch walked through to the living room to see Amber sitting on the couch, with her heads in her hands. "Coulson." Hotch says, and she jumps almost five feet. He lowers himself so he was now sitting down beside her.</p><p>"There's something you need to know." Hotch says, and Amber looks up at him through her eyelashes. "Your mum and dad were killed before the crash." Hotch says, softly and her eyes watered. </p><p>"What?" Amber questioned softly, Hotch sighs and the brunette runs her fingers through her hair in irritation. If she was dead before the crash, who and what really killed them? Amber was so out of it, that when Black was talking to Hotch ━ she never even noticed. </p><p>"Coulson, did you hear a word Black just said?" He questioned and she looked up through her lashes before shaking her head ― and he sighed, understanding on why she was totally out of it. She had just had a big pile of news dumped on her.</p><p>"We're going to need your help on finding you step father." Black says ― and Amber looks up at him, "You know him better than anyone in this room." India's heels clacked off of the wooden floor, and Amber looked up to see her standing there with the rest of her team.</p><p>"Don't make her go through all the pain she had too again," India warns, "We were glad when he was gone ― doesn't matter, how bad that sounds ― he's better of dead." India says, crossing her arms and Amber stands up.</p><p>"India. Its fine, I'm not that scared little girl anymore." Amber defends herself. "I can't remember much about where he would take us, when he sexually assaulted us but I remember it was an apartment down on the more rougher side of Greenport." </p><p>"Like where you got your drugs from?" Black asks, and she glares harshly at him ― for reminding her about that, before nodding ― telling him that's exactly where it was, "I suggest two teams, one stay here in case he turns up and the other go to that apartment." Amber says.</p><p>"Would you be willing to go back there?" Rossi asks, and Amber looks up at him.</p><p>"If your there, definitely," Amber says, and Rossi nods ― Amber walks over to her chest of drawers and pulled her gun from the top of it and an FBI bullet proof vest that she always had with her. "I'll drive." She says, and Hotch nods before throwing the keys to her.</p><p>▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂</p><p> </p><p>   "Oh my god! Can't you see the goddamn sirens women!" Amber snapped, impatiently. This Chevy in front of her was taking it's sweet time in pulling over to let them through, Rossi chuckled from beside her and she sent a deadly glare towards him.</p><p>"I'm being serious, how do people even pass their driving tests here." Amber growled out and Rossi rolled his eyes as the Chevy finally pulls over to let the four agents race past and through all the traffic lights before taking a harsh right.</p><p>"Easy, you've still got backseat passengers." Morgan barked ― he still felt betrayed by Amber, she had never had the decency to tell anyone of the team members about her addiction to drugs, and her being a suspect in three murders. </p><p>"Hey! You can be mad at me all you like Morgan. But I never killed them, and I just learned that the person I thought died, didn't!" Amber snapped right back, she was getting agitated with his attitude but instead of saying anything else, she gritted her teeth and concentrated on the road so she didn't crash. </p><p>She pulled outside an old run down building and she looked around before seeing her step fathers best friend smoking outside the building ― she knew he had to probably know something so she did what she did best ― found stuff out.</p><p>"Diego!" She snapped, agitated and he jumped five feet in the air at her shrill voice ― it had been almost a decade since he had last heard her voice ― so hearing it now was a surprise to him. "Get your ass over here." She growls out and he rolls his eyes before stubbing his cigarette between his feet and then walking over to her.</p><p>"What, no hello for your old friend?" He questioned, cocking a brow ― as he realised the bulletproof vest she was sporting, with FBI in bold white letters.</p><p>"You were never my friend, Diego. You just kept my step father from assaulting me." Amber says, shrugging her shoulders. "Speaking of step father, is he here?" She questions, and he looks at her shocked before covering it up.</p><p>"He's de-" He was about to say but she put her hand up.</p><p>"Don't give me that shit, I know he's alive. Is he in there or not?" She harshly says, and he sighs ― knowing he would have to tell her the truth and he silently nodded before the four agents pushed past him.</p><p>"Amber!" He shouted out to her, and she turned to face him ― he didn't know if he should be telling her this, but he knew he had to warn her. "One of Derek's goon's is there." He says, and Amber looked at him with an underlying threat in her voice.</p><p>"We'll get them, both of them. Don't worry." She says, before following in behind her team and Diego picked up his phone ―  calling the one person he shouldn't have.</p><p>"She fell for it." Diego says over the phone. "You've got twenty minutes to get out of here. God knows how long Milo will keep them occupied for." He says, before ending the call and cracks the prepay ― hoping that they couldn't trace him with it.</p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. twenty eight</h2></a>
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    <p>28| Kara Stewart</p><p>▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂</p><p> </p><p>    Amber's hand rasped against Kara's door, it wasn't long after that the door was thrown open and a 6'3 male stood there, "Can I help you?" He questioned, and she breathed out. </p><p>"I'm Amber Coulson, is Kara home?" She questions, softly. He cocked a brow before turning to look back into the house. </p><p>"Hey baby!" He shouted, and a very loud 'yes' was shouted through the house. "There's someone at the door for you." He says, and that's when heels echoed through the small house. </p><p>"Wh― Amber?" She questioned, utterly shocked to see her ex best friend standing at the door. "What are you doing here?" Her face turned cold, and was about to shut the door but her foot stuck out. </p><p>"Kara. We need to talk." She speaks, unshed tears getting stuck in the back of her eyes. "Please." She speaks, and Kara let out a bitter sigh before tugging the door open again ― and stepping aside. </p><p>"Baby, go upstairs ― this won't take long." She speaks, kissing the male on the cheek as Amber stepped into the foyer area. "We can talk through in the living room." She says, leading her through to the small, yet cozy room. </p><p>"You built a nice life, Kara." She spoke, as she looked at the photos scattered around the fireplace.</p><p>"Yeah." She spoke sarcastically. "What are you doing here Amber? Because I'm sure as hell you aren't here to catch up, you would've come back years ago to do that." She spoke, snipped and straight to the point. </p><p>"It's about Aaron." She says, and Kara froze up. "I know what he did to you, Kara." She says, sitting down in front of her. </p><p>"Why do you care now?" She questions, harshly ― tears springing up to her eyes. "You never cared back then, so why now ― what gives?" She questions, and Amber looked at her. </p><p>"I never knew." Amber says, "I never knew that he was going after you. I thought." Amber says, her voice shaky. "I thought it was only me." </p><p>"You never saw the signs!" She screamed, and Amber flinched. "Goddammit Amber, I was going shy, quiet ― that's never a personality you put with me." She speaks and Amber nodded. </p><p>"I know ― but I never thought he was doing it to you." She says. "I thought, if I never told you about what was happening to me, he would just leave you guys alone." She says, as tears rolled down her cheeks.</p><p>"Well you were wrong." She seethes, "God. Am, you weren't the only victim here." She says, sitting down beside her. "I can't say I'm not glad that he's dead." She said, and Amber bit down onto the inside of her cheek.</p><p>"He's not dead, K." She says softly. "He wasn't the one in the car crash." </p><p>"Who was it then, if it wasn't Aaron. A?" She questions, and Amber put her hand out for Kara too hold. </p><p>"It was my biological father. My mum was pregnant again, she or he would've been my full blood relative." Amber says, and Kara looks at her shocked ― she slipped her hand into Amber's hand, and Amber took a deep breath in. "When we catch, Aaron." She says softly. </p><p>"Would you be able to testify?" She questions and Kara's face turned stoic.</p><p>"Would it put him away for a long time?" She questions and Amber turns to face her. </p><p>"Coupled with the double homicide, the murder of Amanda and the murder of my sister? Yes, he will be locked away for life." She says, and a sob escaped her parted lips. </p><p>"Aaron murdered Amanda, and Taylor?" She questions, and Amber nods. "Amber. I'm so sorry, If I knew. I would've never blamed you for not knowing, it's obvious." She says, "You never saw it," Kara says, and Amber leans in on her. </p><p>"I loved you Kara, so much ― hearing you blame me, broke me." Amber says, as Kara clutches her hair in her hands. "I hated myself for so long because I never knew what I had did to get the blame, now I know." </p><p>"You were never to blame," Kara soothes, "That was all Aaron." </p><p>"But." </p><p>"No buts." She cuts in, as Amber lifts her head. "You were never to blame, and never will be again." She says, pushing a brown hair behind her ear. "And still, I heard what you do now. Look at that, a local bad girl turned FBI agent." She says, and a watery laugh came out of Amber's parted lips. </p><p>"I'm proud of you, you exceeded this towns expectations of you ― and you chose your own path." She says, nudging her. "I think your parents would be proud of you, I know we are." She says, as Jade Smith and Carly Sting entered the room. </p><p>"Am." They both says, and Amber sprints into their opened arms. "We're so sorry. We never should've blamed you." They say, as Leah joined in on the hug ― once she had entered the house with Rossi and Morgan not far behind. </p><p>Kara walked up to Rossi and Morgan, "You must be the agent's she works with." She speaks, and the two nodded ― Kara smiled gently at the two of them. "You know, she wasn't all that bad years ago ― her father, made her that way." She says, looking back at her friends. </p><p>"What do you mean by that?" Rossi asks and Kara breathes out a happy sigh. </p><p>"You've brought out a side that I haven't seen in a while." Kara says looking at them. "The kind, and happy Amber. The one before Aaron came into her life." She says, and Rossi looks at Amber as she let out a loud laugh. </p><p>"Promise me something." She says, and Morgan looks at her. </p><p>"Anything." Morgan says, and Kara breathes. </p><p>"Never let her go. She's the best person in anyones life and she brings so much happiness to another's life." She says, before walking away with intentions of going to stand beside Amber, when gunshots rang out. </p><p>"Everyone get down!" Amber shouted, pulling her gun out ― before she was shot twice in the chest area. Her body fell to the floor, and Kara struggled to get towards her fast enough. "It's okay, Kara." She whispers. </p><p>"Don't you close your eyes, Am." She speaks, pushing a brown hair behind her best friends ear. </p><p>"Someone get me a medic at 15 Oak Street."  Morgan says, as he kneels down beside Amber. "Amber, listen to my voice ― you need to hold on baby," He says, and Amber clutches his hand, as a single tear rolls down her face. </p><p>"M―Morgan, tell Ola and India that I love them." She speaks and Morgan clutches her hand. </p><p>"No." He says, seriously. "You're going to tell them that yourself, you're going to be okay." he whispers as he heard sirens outside.</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. twenty nine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>29| Finally</p><p>▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂</p><p> </p><p>       Derek Morgan and David Rossi had rushed in behind the ambulance, now the two seasonal agents were tapping their feet impatiently in the waiting room ― waiting to find out if Amber was going to be alright. </p><p>"What happened?" Emily Prentiss asks as she rushes in with the rest of the BAU on her heels. Derek stood up, as Emily embraced him ― he was still covered in Amber's blood from when he tried to keep her awake. </p><p>"We were in Kara Stewarts house," Rossi explains. "I think someone knew she was in that house, and shot it up ― managed to hit her right in the chest two times." Rossi continues, and Reid takes a deep breath in. </p><p>"She's going to be alright, right?" Garcia's soft voice questions, and Morgan looks at the women before heading towards her and pulling her into his side. "This ― she's not going to die right?" She murmured. </p><p>"She's a fighter." Axel speaks up as he enters the waiting room with Declan. "She'll survive, it'll just give her some battle wounds." Axel says, running his fingers through his blonde hair ― as a doctor came out of the operating theatre.</p><p>"Amber Coulson?" He questions and everyone stands up.</p><p>"Yes?" Emily questions, gnawing on her cheek ― the doctor sighs before shutting his file, and putting it on the table. </p><p>"She's very lucky, that one of you called it in quickly." He says, "It's a minor miracle that she survived that, two bullets that nicked the side of her lung and then hit one of the rib cage. We stitched the nick closed. She should make a full recovery ― but I cannot give her full permission to go back to work yet." He says, and Emily sighs in relief. </p><p>"You can see her now, but she needs her rest ― so not long please." He says, and everyone nods before he motions for them to follow him. </p><p>▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂</p><p> </p><p>     "Derek?" Amber whispered, and he leaned forward ― clutching her hand with a small smile forming on his face. </p><p>"Hey gorgeous." He spoke, and she rolled her eyes ― before gritting her teeth together, god damn that hurt. "Hey, everything's going to be alright ― we're going to find the bastard that did this." He speaks. </p><p>"No. No your not." She speaks, and Derek looks at her shocked ― "Max came in earlier, from the police station." She says, clutching Derek's hand tighter. "Aaron was finally arrested," She spoke, a soft kind smile placed on her lips. "It's over, finally." She says. </p><p>"I'm still going to kill him." He muttered, pressing a kiss to her forehead and Amber rolled her eyes, as she let his hand go. "Get some rest, Am. You're going to need it." He whispered, pushing a brownish blonde hair away from her eyes. </p><p>"Agreed." Hotch says, leaning against the doorway. "The doctor won't give you full permission to go back into the field until your totally fit." He spoke. "Get work out of your head for a while, stay here with your family." He says. </p><p>"What. Hotch, no you can't seriously agree to that." Amber whined and Hotch cocked a brow at her. "I'm fine." </p><p>"Your current predicament says otherwise, Amber." Axel says at the door and she mutters some curse words at her future brother in law. </p><p>"I hate you." She muttered.</p><p>"You love me. Plus, you'll be here for mine and Declan's wedding that way." He says, and Amber brightens up. </p><p>"Well at least I won't be totally useless." Amber speaks and Hotch rolls his eyes. </p><p>"Your not useless, Amber." He spoke, sitting down beside her. "You just need to heal before I can also allow you to come back to work." He says, and she lets a bitter smile form on her face. </p><p>"I know. I just don't like sitting back doing nothing ― when I know there is monsters out there, killing innocent people." Amber says, gnawing on her bottom lip. </p><p>"Well, the BAU are still going to be active so they won't get away with it." Axel says, "right now. You need to focus on getting better," He says, and Amber sighs ― but she knows it's true ― so she just pouts. </p><p>"Don't look at me like that." Axel scolded, and she frowned before sticking her tongue out at him. He just chuckled, shaking his head as his blonde hair swept in front of his eyes ― before walking out ― to go tell India and Ola that she was awake and alright.</p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>30| Ola and Max's Wedding</p><p>▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂</p><p> </p><p>       "Do you think I made the right choice by staying?" Amber asks Kara as they stand at the refreshment table at Max's and Ola's reception. Kara looks over at her with a cocked brow and a small smile tugged at her lips.</p><p>"You miss them, don't you?" She questions, and a sad smile pulls on her lips. </p><p>"Yeah." She whispered. "Maybe a lot more than I should be." Amber says, running her fingers through her hair. </p><p>"They became your family, Amber." Kara speaks, "It's natural to miss them." She says, grasping Amber's hand. Amber breathed out as she saw Max and Ola together. "They're good together," Kara mused. </p><p>"Amber." India says, "Can I ― talk to you, privately?" She questions, pushing a blonde hair away from her face ― and Amber cocked a brow before nodding. She slipped her hands out of Kara's hand and headed with India towards the kitchen. </p><p>"So." Amber says, as she pops the Prosecco and pours some into a glass ― she went to hand one to India but she shook her head, she was now 19 and she was legal to drink. "What's going on?" She asks, putting the glass to her mouth.</p><p>"Amber." She says, before taking a deep breath in ― closing her eyes. "I'm pregnant." She speaks, and Amber starts chocking, she pushed herself over the sink as she registered what India had just said.</p><p>"For how long?" She questions.</p><p>"I've just finished my first trimester." She says, and Amber looks at her shocked but secretly she was happy. "You're not saying anything, Amber please. I don't know how to tell Ola." She says, almost crying.</p><p>Amber pulled India into her arms, "That's great news India." She says, and India finally relaxes. "Ola, will be happy for you ― and I promise, we will help you look after the baby." She says, running her fingers over India's hair.</p><p>"Thank god," India muttered, wrapping her arms around Amber's shoulder. "I thought you were going to tell me to put the baby up for adoption or abort it." India continues and Amber pulls back to look at her. </p><p>"India." She says, clutching India's face in her hands. "I would never force you to get rid of this kid." She says, and India just wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. "Come on, kid, let's go back outside." She says, and India slaps the back of Amber's head as they both laugh.  </p><p>▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂</p><p> </p><p>       "Can I have this dance." A voice Amber hadn't heard in almost three months says, and Amber turns around to see Derek Morgan standing behind her. "Hey gorgeous." He says, and a bright smile pulls on her lips. </p><p>"Der." She whispered, and he smiled at her with a warm smile. "Who called you here?" She questioned, as he pulled her towards the dance floor ― her hand slipped up to his shoulder. As his other hand took her other hand into his. </p><p>"Kara called me." He spoke and a smile pulled at her lips. </p><p>"Course." She muttered. </p><p>"Said you've been missing us." He said, chuckling lightly. "I could never guess that you would miss this job." He speaks, and she puts her head on his shoulder ― muttering a small 'shut up'. A grunt in annoyance came out of her mouth. </p><p>"I miss the team. Not the job, it's nice to get away from the crime, the monsters that I know live everywhere and anywhere." She speaks, and Derek spun her around ― before pulling her back into his arms. </p><p>"We miss you too," He speaks. "It hasn't been the same since you got shot and not being in the offices everyday." He says, and a small smile tugged at her lips. </p><p>"Aw," She says, nudging him with her arms. "You miss me Derek?" She mocked, and he glared at her before pressing a kiss against her forehead. </p><p>"Yes. I miss you," He says, before spinning her around again and then she was in Max's arms. She and Max had been friends for years, he was a a family friend and always had protected her, so that's why she was so glad that it was Max marrying her sister. </p><p>"Hello there." he speaks, lightly ― and Amber smiles lightly at him. </p><p>"Hello Max." She says, "How does it feel to be married to my sister now?" She questions, tilting her head to the side with a smirk on her face. </p><p>"It feels good," He says, before kissing her forehead lightly. "Thanks for accepting me," He says, and Amber laughs. </p><p>"Always, Max." She says, before she was let go further away from him and then pulled back in. "Go to your wife." She whispers, and he nods before leaving her in the middle of the floor. Until she was swept away by Derek again.</p>
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